


Who's There to Save the Hero?

by The_Author_Whovian



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, F/M, I am Supercorp Trash, M/M, Supergirl (TV 2015) Season 5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 65,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Author_Whovian/pseuds/The_Author_Whovian
Summary: Kara had always known she had to become a cop, if not for her most basic instinct to help people in the world, then to continue the legacy of her dead cousin, Kal. Her cousin was the best cop, back when he was a regular beat cop. The force called him Superman. Then he got promoted to the undercover force and became known as Clark Kent. Either way, Kal had always been so close to her. He had saved her from heartache and rescued her after her own family's passing. So, yes. Kara had a legacy to uphold. But when Kal's killer escapes prison to reign terror once more can Kara stop him? Can she stop him and still keep herself?Lena Luthor had grown up as another Luthor. After a lonely life of battling the hatred of her mother and the love of her brother, she had learned much about her family. Still, nothing shocked her more than discovering Lex's criminal activities. How his kingdom was so wide and was backed by her own mother. Lena became the black sheep of the family as she was the only one who wanted to do good. To the rest of the world though, it didn't matter. Can she start to understand love in its purest form? Can she save the one she loves, not only from the most horrifying criminal, but her own mind?
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this story has a few different perspectives in it! And before anything Graphic in the chapters, I will forewarn you! To help you keep perspectives straight here is how they go.  
> Italicized is Lena Luthor  
> Regular font is Kara Danvers.  
> Bold is either a dream, nightmare, or emphasis in speaking. 
> 
> If you have questions, please ask me!

_ The wind softly blew over the blades of yellow grass. It blew down to the sand, tumbling the dry grains down to the water. The water softly pushed the grains down to the wet floor. The sun was setting over the ocean, casting the world in a gold aura. The white caps of the ocean twinkled in the fading light. Th _ _ ey _ _ had grown longer by the proximity of the sun.  _ _ If one took a deep breath through their nose, they could smell the oncoming rainfall that would be there by morning.  _ _ If one were to close their eyes, they’d hear the earth settling in for the night. They’d hear it sigh and blow some much-needed peace over everything. The wind softly played with the chimes hanging on the front porch of the large beach house. _ __ _ If one tried harder, they could hear the calm hums of the other houses, though the closest one was three miles out. _

_ Standing barefoot in  _ _ a yard with a large weeping willow in it  _ _ was the fiercest CEO of the world.  _ _ The branches of the willow swayed softly in the breeze, flickering back and forth in a lazy way.  _ _ Famous for her conviction and her  _ _ productivity, _ __ _ the CEO _ _ was the queen of the busy city life. Or… at least she had been.  _ _ She _ _ held a tattered red shawl over her shoulders, a gold symbol shining brightly on the back. _ __ _ It was well worn and was only there for source of comfort, not warmth. Her slender fingers grasped the shawl tightly, a silver wedding ring on her hand shining brightly in the sunset. The golden hour lit the woman’s eyes on fire, and the green eyes that captured the light so brilliantly only shined with pain, sorrow, and a tiredness that no amount of experience in hiding emotions could cover. Her face was solemn, the corners of her mouth down slightly, eyebrows slightly furrowed. She stood still, taking in the sigh of the Earth and the gentle crash of the waves. _ _ After taking a few more deep breaths, Lena Luthor let the stillness of the  _ _ coastal _ _ town calm her down. _ _ As the last of the sun rays left her sight, the breeze blew once more, now colder and harsher. It was a breeze that made the most loved person in the world feel lonely.  _ _ Lena _ _ shuddered and drew the shawl closer to her body. She turned around and _ _ w _ _ ith a soft sigh _ _ , _ _ walked into the house.  _

_ She walked into the kitchen, taking in the sight of the place. Much like the rest of the house, the  _ _ k _ _ itchen only had the bare necessities unpacked. Piles of boxes were still laying around, waiting for the CEO to unpack. On the island was the keys, the newspaper, and the files that came with the house. The main lights were all off, and only the stove light remained on. It cast a cold white glow on the room. After making sure the windows were locked, the CEO took her tea  _ _ and went from room to  _ _ room.  _ _ The brunette could almost see her National City _ _ penthouse _ _ with her furniture. Though, it looked less dusty here than it did there. _ __ _ She made sure each room was properly secured (A habit that had formed after her familial past…) and the lights were off before heading to her bed. After a whole day of unpacking, she had only done her room and her office. She took a moment to take her room all in.  _

_ The room was bare. Everything was either white, grey, or black. In the middle was her large, specialized, bed. She had had the headboard made for her and her wife. It housed the terrain of a strange planet on there. A place that she could only go to in her dreams. She sat on the bed, grabbing her lotion and rubbed it on her arms to start. After a moment, she slipped her ring off and set it on the bed next to her, massaging the much-needed lotion on her hands. They were so dry after the past week. She blamed it on the boxes. Once she felt that it was well worked in, she wiped the excess off on her cheeks before slipping her ring back on. _ _ Lena laid against the headboard,  _ _ opening _ _ a book that she was currently finishing.  _ _ Finding herself entranced at the words on the page as a fantasy world took her for an adventure. She only paused when she needed to sip on her tea.  _

_ She hadn’t always had this time. She used to be the big CEO with a world of responsibility on her shoulders. She handled it well, and no one had much to fear with her in position. She had shouldered so much; it was a miracle that she hadn’t shut down. Much more, she had brought so much good into the world. She funded projects such as the mental hospital where patients could feel free again. She had partnered with Andrea Rojas in the mental therapy part of Obsidian. She had many devices that she was proud of. Some that promoted peace, some that battled cancer for the person. Yes, Lena Luthor was a very successful woman.  _

_ She had also fallen in love. She had loved a blonde haired, blue-eyed woman named Kara. It seemed to everyone that Kara Danvers was radiating happiness. Lena swore that she shone bright like the sun, and that at points, she would even physically glow.  _

_ Lena turned the page of her book, continuing to read, though not as into the story as she had just been. Leave it to Kara to invade her thoughts like so. Lena sighed, placed the bookmark in its proper place and the book back _ _ on the nightstand. Then, _ __ _ l _ _ ooking at the boxes, she found herself opening one labeled KARA MEMORIES. LEE DO NOT  _ _ OPENNNN _ _!!! _

_ Lena Luthor chuckled softly at the sight of the message. Once she opened the flaps of the boxes, she knew why. Inside were newspaper articles, journals, pictures, and constant memories… Of course. Kara had so many of these. So many hauntings of the past. Things that only added salt to a wound that was as old as time. A wound that still hadn’t healed. Lena shook her head, moving it to the back corner of the closet. Lena finished her tea and  _ _ headed downstairs to  _ _ set the mug  _ _ i _ _ n the  _ _ kitchen sink _ _. _ _ Looking out the kitchen window, she saw the hill in front of the house that would gradually lead to the ocean. Lena then decided to walk out there.  _ _ As she stood at the very top of the hill, she looked up at the stars. Lena could practicall _ _ y picture Kara laying out a blanket for them, with those silly pillows of hers below their heads as she excitedly told the brunette about her day. She could see the blonde pointing out star after star with vigor and excitement.  _ _ The wind blew stronger, blowing in  _ _ a storm, and sent the CEO inside. Lena made her way back up and into her bed.  _ _ She turned off the light, closed her eyes, and settled in for a full night of restless sleep. She dreamt of a blonde-haired woman. A woman with a smile so bright, you’d have thought the sun was shining brighter for it.  _ _ No one noticed the tear running down her face towards her jaw. Nor did anyone notice the way the wind changed once more, as if bringing something new on the horizon. Hope.  _

Kara Danvers woke up late. She was hardly ever late, but on this day,  she somehow was. She sat up, seeing the alarm clock on the floor, batteries out.  As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she looked to the wall.  The curtains were dark, but the sun was  peeking out from behind them. After a moment to wake up Kara jumped out of bed.  The light was too bright for her to be anything but late.  She changed from her  Pj’s to her uniform , thankful she had laid them out the night before. She pulled her backpack on and slipped into her boots.  At the last second, she grabbed her glasses and a hair tie.  Looking round to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything,  Kara grabbed her keys and then  left. She ran to the coffee shop a block away. As she got there, she saw the line and groaned.

“Kara! Your usual on your tab!” Her friend,  Nia , spoke with a smile. Kara  gratefully nodded, walking to pick it up. She put her contacts on and tucked her glasses away.

“Thank  you,  Nia . I Owe  you! “She said with a smile.  Nia handed her the coffee and a food bag. Kara set them on the counter and leaned down to tie her shoes. 

“You owe me your notes when I go to the academy!”  Nia teased before calling out another order. 

“Done!” Kara said before  grabbing the food and walking out. She picked her pace and right as she was ready to push the door open. A chair pushed back. Her body  full on  slammed into  the chair and the coffee spilled itself all over her and the lady in that chair. Her hand was screaming from the heat. Kara’s eyes grew wide. 

“Oh  Rao !  I’m so sorry! Gosh  I’m so clumsy!  Nia !!” Kara asked  Nia for a few things and then started patting the coffee off the stranger’s shirt.  She could see how feeble the effort  was. Weakly she continued her blotting and spoke once more.

“ I’m Kara… I Think your  shirt is properly soaked… Rao  I’m sorry. Here” Kara fished in her backpack and pulled out the extra shirt she always had.  She looked up, slightly shrinking under the eyes of the now standing woman. 

“I have this… It should fit until you can change.” Kara thought- searched for something she could do or say to make this right. She  looked at the woman properly for the first time.  A  deep blush flooded her cheeks. She was speechless. The woman looked breathtaking and that included the drenched  button-down Kara licked her lips subconsciously. Maggie and Kate were going to Kill her. Maybe not… Probably so. She handed the woman the shirt. 

“Thank you...” The woman spoke softly. She took  the shirt and reached for her briefcase. Then, she stormed off into the bathroom.  At least she hadn’t spilled coffee all over whatever was in that case.  Kara looked at  Nia . 

“ Nia ,  I've got to run. Will you please tell her whatever she wants is on  me? If she leaves the shirt. Ill take care of it and make sure its properly cleaned.” Kara looked at her watch and with a panicked sigh, she knew it would be a miracle if she showed up on time now. She would have to hail a cab just to get there late. 

“Kara take the bike!”  Nia called, tossing the keys to her sister’s  second  bike. Kara  smiled guiltily and ran out. She knew she had mere minutes left. She had to go. After today, all Kara had left of the academy were her finals. She raced to the building, fire under her ass. Her mind was a mess. It was running over the interaction she just had, wondering if there was a  way, she could make it better. Part of her brain was also thinking about the things she had to do at the academy,  which meant all the things she was studying. Though after a while, most of her brain  had reluctantly returned to the night before. The memories that haunted her in the night, turning all dreams into nightmares. Kara shuddered, forcing it to the back burner. She had other things to do. 

_ Lena Luthor woke up, her eyes seeming extremely alert. She sat up and stretched slightly. Looking to her alarm clock, she was happy to see that she had rose before the alarm. The CEO decided to start the d _ _ ay on a good note and stood up. Wondering sleepily into the bathroom, she turned on the water for a shower.  _ _ Shredding her clothes and stepping in, Lena let the warm water roll down her body and wake her senses up. After a well- deserved shower, she walked out, drying off and heading to the kitchen in a silk robe. Sh _ _ e made her morning coffee, heading to her closet and picking out her outfit. The day ahead had many meetings, some tinkering,  _ _ oh and a press conference dealing with the latest technology that she had made. Damn it all for them thinking she was doing the world harm. It was simply a way to pop into some one’s dreams. A way for families to connect with their coma-ridden members.  _ _ Lena pursed her lips, her eyes settled on a  _ _ power suit and nodded. The woman got dressed, did her makeup, pulled her hair into her signature bun and then grabbed her papers _ _ that she had brought home. She looked at the clock, she still had an hour before she  _ _ could _ _ set foot in her building. Instead of staying in, Lena decided to  _ _ walk to the nearby coffee shop. She had only  _ _ set foot in there a handful of times _ _ , but _ _ it was where Jess always went when she ordered a morning coffee. Having tasted their coffee, she deemed _ __ _ it was good enough for her to go back.  _

_ At 50 minutes until she could walk into her doors, Lena stood in line for a morning coffee.  _ _ 5 minutes later, Lena was settled into the only free table left.  _ _ The table was by the door, which Lena usually never took _ _ anywhere she went. Her second cup of coffee went down much nicer than the first, and her papers were strewn about as she organized them into an electronic spreadsheet.  _ _ One by one the sheets went back into the briefcase as she worked through them.  _ _ Behind her a slight breeze was felt from the door. A bubbly human started talking, very happy to truly be human. Lena rolled her eyes, she checked the time, knowing that  _ _ she had ordered another coffee for around this time. She heard her name called.  _

_ “Lena!” The barista’s voice carried over the chatter of the shop. _

_ “Done!” The bubbly person spoke. Lena put her laptop and papers away, closing the briefcase before scooting her chair out.  _

_ The CEO felt hot, and not the kind that means aesthetically pleasing. No, Lena Luthor felt scalding hot. Her pain receptors were screaming _ _ , and underneath all the sensations of hotness, her skin felt sticky. Slowly, Lena stood up and looked at a blonde woman clutching a paper, now completely crushed, coffee cup _ _ and a bag of what now looked like a smushed sticky bun _ _. Lena  _ _ looked at the woman, heat in her eyes, no doubt shooting daggers into the oceanic blue eyes of the blonde across from her. The eyes filled with fear and panic, and a hint of annoyance. The blonde held still in what could only be  _ _ shock before moving once more. Then she started to talk, and Lena finally understood who the bubbly woman was.  _

_ “Oh Rao!  _ _ I'm _ _ so sorry! Gosh  _ _ I'm _ _ clumsy...  _ _ Nia _ _!” The blonde was doing her best to blot off the coffee that remained, her hands stuffed with napkins. The napkins just wouldn’t do the trick though. With a soft sigh,  _ _ Lena stood up and looked at herself. At least it  _ _ hadn't _ _ gotten on her pants. She saw the ruined state of her shirt and then wiped her hands off with another napkin.  _

_ “ _ _ I'm _ __ _ Kara... I think your shirt is proper soaked...” The blonde spoke. Lena had enough composure to bite back some of her infamous remarks. So instead, she let out a pained smile. She watched the woman set the emp _ _ ty cup down and swing her backpack to her front. She unzipped the smallest pocket and produced a shirt from it. For the second time, Lena studied  _ _ the woman-Kara- in front of her. Kara was dressed in a dark navy-blue shirt, black cargo pants, the army boots were black and to boot, she had one of those smart watches on that just screamed cop in training. As she took the shi _ _ rt in her hand, she could see the training badge label on the front.  _ _ Oh, _ _ how ironic that she- a Luthor hated by all government officers- happened to be in a coffee shop-where a second layer of irony was- and had a cup of cof _ _ fee dumped on her. She wondered what the Universe was trying to get back at her for. She would need to call her  _ _ driver; _ _ she couldn’t walk to her company wearing this. Kara was rambling, and she had caught some o _ _ f the words. _

_ “I have this... It should fit until you can change.” Kara spoke softly.  _ _ Lena could tell Kara felt bad, and from the way Kara’s body couldn’t hold very still, she knew the woman was impatient to go somewhere.  _

_ “Thank you...” Lena spoke, looking at the woman in her eyes. She grabbed her briefcase and walked into the bathroom. She could feel the shirt now cold on her skin and she was thankful for t _ _ he woman to have _ _ something for her to wear _ _. Lena checked the clock. 30 minutes left till the  _ _ work _ _ day _ _ started. She texted her driver and then dried off with the stiff paper towels.  _ _ After putting on the shirt, she was shocked to see how well it fit, and the whiff _ _ (She couldn’t name the scent that she smelt, but it was better than coffee) _ __ _ that had captured her nose as she put it on, well it wasn’t a horrible shirt to have to wear. It  _ _ could _ _ be worse.  _ _ The barista stood outside the door and backed up slightly as Lena came out. Kara was nowhere to be found.  _ _ Had the blonde run off in fear? Perhaps shame? No, Lena remembered how impatient she was, the Kara woman had been late.  _ _ She looked to the coffee girl, whose name on the tag was  _ _ Nia _ _.  _

_ “Lena, Kara was running late and had to leave. She said that if you leave your shirt, she will take care of it and get it back to its former glory. She also _ _ said that anything you order from here on out will be taken care of by her.”  _ _ Nia _ _ spoke cordially, and though it didn’t seem like it was the blonde’s first time having to do this, Lena felt touched _ _ by the blonde’s assurance to make all go well.  _ _ She also was slightly proud to know that she had been right in her assumptions.  _ _ With a  _ _ professional _ _ sigh, she  _ _ looked back to the barista. _

_ “Very well, here is my shirt and my business card.  _ _ Along with my coffee I have already ordered,  _ _ I will take a salad and a large tea to go.” Lena  _ _ gave the woman a soft smile before taking a seat at the coffee bar. She grabbed the order and walked outside to where her driver was waiting. Save for the driver and her personal assistant,  _ _ Jess, no one had seen Lena in the police shirt.  _ _ Lena was relieved that no one else had seen her in the shirt. She wouldn’t have to consult her PR team. That meant more time to focus on everything else. Logically it all made sense and she could be pleased. So why was she aching for some sort of whisper to get out? _ __ _ Lena had handed the woman her tea and instructed that she would need 10 minutes before their morning brief. _ _ She caught Jess’s smile, knowing full well that it meant she would want to hear what happened.  _ _ After an understanding _ _ n _ _ od from Jess, Lena walked into her office and to the small studio that secretly was behind it. _ _ From time to time,  _ _ Lena _ _ would crash at the office and had made proper  _ _ accommodations _ _ for such moments. _ _ It was the same size as her studio, and there  _ _ weren't _ _ any walls in the place. She had one-way windows installed so that no one could see inside, but she could still have a nice view of the city. It wasn’t la _ _ vish either, rather it had a small kitchenette, a bed in a corner. A place for her clothes, and a half bathroom that she could use to freshen up. Lena looked at her options. _ __ _ Thankfully, she had just restocked her closet with clothes that she could use in such times.  _ _ She grabbed a white  _ _ button _ _ up, and her suspenders. She touched up her makeup before putting the salad away in the kitchenette. With only seconds to spare, Lena sat down at her desk and then paged Jess in to hear the  _ _ morning _ __ _ reports _ _. _ _.. and to fill her in on the coffee escapade. _

Kara skidded into the parking lot. She parked the bike in its spot and then ran inside. She swiped her badge and opened the door to the gym. She was right on time.  Which meant that she was late.  After a deep breath, she quickly walked to the locker room and changed out , taking the time to get her head in the right space . She focused on the music she was listening to as she began her stretches. Then she walked over to where the group of her fr iends were. They were currently occupying the weights section. Kara cleared her throat and waved at the group.

“ And here she is! I was worried that we would have to call a search party soon ” comes the laughing greeting from Sara Lance. Kara struts over to her weights and just chuckles.

“Everyone help! Useless gay lost in National City! Get  the  sticky buns ! ” Sara says in a slightly quiet tone as she cups her hands around her mouth, as if she were shouting to the world. The group lets out a collective laugh.

“ Okay maybe I am a useless gay, but at least  ** I ** don’t have the hots for my martial arts trainer’s daughter” Kara winked and sat on the bench, placing her weights down. Sara lightly punched  K ara’s shoulder and  shook her head with a smile.

“In all seriousness, why are you running late today Kara?” The deep voice of James  Olsen inquired, grunting after as he benched his weights.

“I uh...” Kara started, trailing off from slight  embarrassment . She continued her first rep of halfway bicep curls. She  dared not look at anyone while she spoke. “Woke up late, when I got to Noonan’s... Well, I spilled coffee all over this girl” Kara finished.

“Did you at least get her number?” Kate Kane asked as she wiped her forehead with a towel before returning to her pull ups. 

“I didn’t have time to do anything! I asked  Nia to help. Then I left... while... She was in the bathroom... cleaning up... ” Kara’s voice trailed  off and had become quieter with each word. The group let out a collective groan, and not from th e work out.  Kara dipped her head, setting down her weights and switching to a heavier pair for her next work out. 

“Wait little Danvers, you’re telling me that you dumped coffee on a girl and ran? Damn, I didn’t know you had it in you!” Maggie Sawyer exclaimed as she chuckled. She helped James lift the weig hts bar over his head and back onto its rack. She shook her head with a large shit-eating grin. Kara looked at her friends and gave an exasperated sigh.

“I was so late! I know I totally screwed it up... What was I supposed to do?” Kara shook her head and switched James on the bench press. She started pushing the weights in silence. After a few moments of just the noise of the gym, James  broke the silence. 

“I cannot believe that I’m stuck with a bunch of useless Lesbians as my friends.” everyone laughed and the conversation quickly moved on to Sara and her newest escapade with her crush,  Nyssa Al  Ghul .

After their shower out, Maggie, Kate, and Kara headed to their next class. This one was their driving class, which meant fast speeds, learning how to dodge cars, that sort of thing. They stood at the edge of the parking lot; backpacks discarded under the shade of a nearby tree. Their teacher was driving the course, showing them the final course. The students could practice as much as they wanted to until they had the course down.  As he returned, he handed the keys to one of the students. The others got in their cars and waited for their turn. Kate, Kara, and Maggie raced around the track, trying to see who would have the fastest time.  Though, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Kate walked out of her car to see that she had beaten both of their times. After a few more rounds each, the teacher announced the end of the class.  They’d ge t a call when they needed to be there for the final and would have to show up either at that time or fail. Maggie and Kara left Kate as the two headed for the range. It was what they did when they had some time between classes. 

At the range, Maggie yelled over the gunfire into Kara’s earmuffs. 

“I bet you that I can be more accurate and outshoot you!” Kara barely heard the challenge over the noise, but when she saw Maggie’s smile, she knew what she had heard.  With a mischievous smile, she pulled Maggie to the last two lanes, furthest from the noise. It still echoed and was by no means completely quiet, but it was far enough away that she could set the terms of the challenge.

“Game on! One mag. Ten rounds each!” Kara yelled back as she loaded her magazine with live rounds. 

“Deal! If I win though, you have to take your Coffee girl on a date!” Maggie smirked, loading up her magazine and put it in to her M&P. Kara did the same and holstered it into her side holster. She leaned into Maggie.

“Fine, but if I win, then  ** you  ** ask out my sister!” Kara chuckled. It was no secret that Maggie had a thing for her older sister Alex. It was e ven less of a secret that Alex had similar feelings about Maggie. Both were stubborn though, and they refused to ask one another out. Claiming that they didn’t see what the world saw and the other was not interested in them. A nervous smile rested on Maggie’s f ace and then she stuck out her hand.

“Deal.” Maggie spoke. They shook hands and faced the paper bullseye that was 7 yards out. Their match started and the bullets flew. Both  focusing on aiming more than the speed. When the slide was locked to the rear, they dropped their mags out and racked  the slide. Then they returned their firearms to their holsters and brought the targets in. After some debate, they could see that Maggie had 8 holes clearly close together, with two fliers on the outer edge of the  middle ring. They studied Kara’s bullseye and saw 7 holes with two fliers on the outer  edge of the inner ring.  Maggie started to celebrate her victory until Kara leaned in closer. She put her pinkie into one of the holes and turned around to the other woman. Maggie’s face dropped as she saw what Kara  saw; two bullets went through the same h ole. She groaned and Kara laughed. Their watches buzzed with a reminder of their next class, so they packed away their firearms and  waved goodbye.

Kara walked to her next class and put her stuff in her seat. She took a deep breath, letting the silence of the room envelop her before realizing that it would be one of the last days she sat in this room. She wondered if it was b ittersweet or sheer sadness that she held onto. With a shake of her head, she pulled out her notebook and started reviewing her notes. Kara was interrupted by one of her best friends, Winn. He was only in the academy b ecause he had to be. If he could have been hired by the police for his cyber skills without having to go through the classes, he would already have been working. Having just come from the gym, he gave a pain ed smile- a sign that h e was very sore . He flopped into his seat  and put his forehead on the desk. 

“Remind me to never have shots with Maggie again.” He groaned, clearly struggling more because of their little party that they had the previous night. Kara hadn’t had anything because she had been the group’s driver. Instead thoug h, she was more tired. She just chuckled and  rubbed his back. 

“ So, I heard that you dumped coffee on a hot girl and bounced...” He started. His tone was sympathetic and the  way he lifted his head with the  smile that he housed matched it all too well. Kara scoffed, she knew that if Winn knew and had heard it that way,  all her friends did by now. After pro mising  to tell the whole story at lunch, the two turned to their psych teacher and began to go over their notes for the finals. 

Not for the first time, Kara’s mind wondered back to the previous night. Her nightmare, well it was a memory really, was haunting her. She knew why though. She was graduating from the academy. She was about to become a  cop and was about to put on almost the same uniform her cousin had. She only hoped to live long enough to retire this time. She only hoped for a long life.  The nightmare... Kara shoved it to the back of her head, finishing up with her essay early. She left with the professor’s permission and walked outside. As she neared the table her group used for lunch, she could see Laurel Lance already there, head in her hands. She knew Laurel, of all of them, was having the hardest time with trying to graduate.  Not because she didn’t know what she was doing, because her whole family was in the police force somehow, but because it seemed like she lacked the passion. Her father was an esteemed detective back in Star City.  Her mother was a professor at their academy. Her sister was Sara Lance, so there Laurel sat. A police officer among the family of policemen.  Kara sat next to her and lightly tapped Laurel’s shoulder. Laurel looked up.

“Hey Kara,” Laurel spoke with a tired smile. Kara set her lunch on the table and then focused on the woman next to her. 

“Hey, you... why so down?” Kara asked softly, having known Laurel’s usual behavior and this seemed to suggest she wasn’t feeling to great. La urel sat up and sighed. She started to pick at the table’s flaking paint as she  talked.

“I just... I don’t think that being a cop is what I want for myself. I know Sara loves it, and so does dad, but I don’t. Not really... I love the law, and I want to do something with the law, but with finals already here and  graduation... I don’t know what to  do... ” Laurel a dmitted.  Kara lifted her eyebrows slightly and then she nodded. 

“Have you thought about becoming a lawyer?” Kara suggested, her voice hopeful. She sounded as though she was offering an answer to the class and she wasn’t 100% sure it was the right one. 

“Yes, but I have to show my dad that I’m not made of cop material first.” Laurel spoke, her tone more hushed as people began to show up at the tables around them. Kara nodded. She then had a brilliant idea, one that she was sure would work.

“What if you failed all your finals? Surely that would mean you aren’t cop material. Then you can tell him what you want to do and why you weren't able to pass and graduate from the academy.” Kara answered. Laurel smiled as though that was the best thing since sliced b read. She gave Kara a hug and then opened her lunch. Kara did the same. A few seconds later, Sara sat next to her sister at the table, and after a few more seconds, the rest of the friend group showed up and took their seats.  To Kara’s left sat Laurel, Sara, and Kate. To her right was Winn, James, and Maggie. All of them had their eyes on Kara and were expectantly waiting. They had been promised the full story  at lunch. Kara caved in and told them what had happened. Everyone was groaning and shaking their head as she finish ed her story. This prompted a whole conversation on what they would have done in her shoes and how she could have done different. This ranged from  offering to pay for the bill and waiting until she left, to some  naughty ones from her fellow women loving rascals. The sauciest one coming from Maggie herself. Kara jumped on this and asked if she had  asked her sister out yet. The response was a hesitant no with some excuses of why. 

Lunch went on, and everyone teased someone about something or another. After lunch though, she left to go to her last class of the day. It was Undercover  disguises with Damien  Dhark . They were going to practice for their final for the next class. The next class, she would have to be come someone else and follow her prompt. If Damien could guess correctly who the student was, he would fail them. Kara sat at her desk and began to work on her  disguise .  She left with a basic idea of her disguise and her backstory ironed out. 

After looking at the time, she knew it was time to head to Nia’s and see what was left of the morning’s interaction. She had questions in her mind,  and by the time that she parked the bike in the back, the questions were louder and more prominent than before. Kara ordered her latte from the man at the register and then sat at her table, waiting for  Nia to come by.  She watched  Nia bring the drink out and take a seat across from her. Kara took a sip and then began to ask her list of questions that she had.

“Who was she, did she leave her shirt? How mad was she? Did she order anything else?” Kara blurted out, barely keeping her mouth in check.  Nia handed Kara a small paper bag with the shirt folded up inside. It was wrapped with paper towels, which were still damp when Kara felt them. Inside was a business car d, one that looked more professional than the  ones she had drafted for the police department . Nia cleared her throat and spoke quietly.

“She left her business card in there, but she wasn’t horribly mad when she came out. Moreover, she seemed to accept that you had run off. She ordered another coffee and a large tea. I know her first name is Lena though, and  when she does come in, it's always early and she has her normal order.” Kara nodded and just as she was about to grab the business card, she heard her siste r’s second bike roaring outside of the shop. After a few seconds, she stood up and turned around to see Alex Danvers standing there. The door opened and there stood the red head in her all black motorcycle suit. She held her helmet in o ne hand and the keys in the other. Kara smiled and gave her a hug.

Alex Danvers was the best big sister anyone could have ever asked for. Especially because Kara was her adopted sister. Their bond was strong and close. Usually, Kara and Alex had dinner every night and game nights every week. Lately though, Alex’s FBI squad was working with other cities to help track down the remnants of a large crime organization, and she hadn't been able to see her sister in over a week. After  they left the hug, they quickly decided on ordering Chinese from the hole in the wall place they both loved. They said goodbye to  Nia before Kara hopped on the back of Alex’s b ike. They ordered their food and then went to Alex’s apartment. They settled in and ate their  pot stickers and chicken and rice, while they shared what had been going on since they last saw another. Kar a listened to Alex speak about the case, knowing full well that  she would never breathe a word of this. Then Kara caught her up with how the academy was going and how  everyone else was doing. Towards the end of the night, after a glass of wine had been drunken by each of them, Kara shared the coffee story and watched Alex lau gh and then offer sympathy. Kara shook her head with a smile. The night turned sour as Alex’s phone beeped. 

“Shit.” Alex whispered, and she stood up. “I need to go back to work, you should head home.” She looked at Kara with sympathy. Kara stood up and started to put on her shoes. 

“What’s wrong Alex?” She asked as she grabbed her backpack and paper bag. Her stomach dropped at the next words, and her ears rung slightly.

“His group is becoming active again.” Alex muttered as she put on her badge. His being Lex Luthor. Group being the large Anti-police group he led before....  the worshippers of Lex. Kara wished she hadn’t asked. She turned to Alex. 

“Stay safe out there.” She muttered with a half-smile, one that couldn’t reach her eyes. Kara took a deep breath before walking home. When she got home, she hung Lena’s shirt on the sho wer rod and began to clean it as she was taught. As Kara sat on her couch grasping a glass of wine, she looked at the wet paper bag. She reached in and grabbed the card. On one side she saw the  bright L of the company logo, and on the back was the contact information. H er stomach dropped even lower. Of all people in the world, she had to spill coffee on Lex’s sister. Lena Luthor. A sigh escaped her body, one of aches. She just wished she could get away from her past sometimes. Kara pulled up her laptop and  opened a google search on Lena. She was pleased to see the inventions that had come from the company since her take over.  Even more so, she saw a quote from the woman when she had the grand re-naming ceremony. 

“ I'm just a girl trying to make a name for herself outside of her family.” Kara understood. She gave a small smile, knowing that each person had a different potential. It certainly wasn’t how she was raised –to judge someone off their name or who the ir family was- she was raised to see the person first, before placing such judgement.  She planned to give the shirt back the next day, and with that idea in mind, she fell asleep. A sleep which brought back a very horrible memory.  Which brought back screams that no one could cure.

_ On the _ _ other side of town, Lena Luthor was diving into the onslaught of meetings _ __ _ that month-end brought. She had just left a meeting with an overseas investor. She would _ __ _ have  _ _ her  _ _ CFO; _ _ Sam Arias meet with him in a few days. She was very thankful that Sam had a few more weeks left before returning overseas once more. Sam would be working with him when she was over there, so she had set up a secondary meeting that  _ _ Sam _ _ could come to. She had a moment between this and her next meeting. Lena wa _ _ lked back to her office and changed out the files with the ones that she needed.  _

_ “Jess” Lena spoke into her phone and after a moment, her assistant walked in the room.  _

_ “I need you to drop this shirt off at my dry cleaners, tell them to make this top priority.” Lena instructed, holding out the bag that Kara’s shirt was in. Jess took the bag and nodded.  _

_ “Take your lunch while  _ _ you're _ _ at it. My meeting with Mrs.  _ _ Grant _ _ -”  _

_ “Is cancelled...” Jess interrupted. “She  _ _ just called; _ _ she has some personal business she needs to attend to before the meeting can occur.” Jess  _ _ spoke _ _. Lena nodded and crossed her arms.  _

_ “Thank you. Go ahead and take lunch. I will be down in the labs.” Lena covered up. She  _ _ then _ _ set her folders down and instead  _ _ grabbed _ _ her coat. After a minute,  _ _ Lena _ _ had settled into the labs, her eyes w _ _ ere watching the reaction of an experiment regarding a new medication and a soldier diagnosed with PTSD.  _ _ Lena nodded to the scientist to cue his triggers. The soldier resisted the first three, a good sign. The fou _ _ rth- a gun like sound- had him diving down to the floor screaming for his fellow soldiers to take cover. He studied the room with tactical eyes and his heartbeat was frantic. With a sigh, Lena handed the tablet to the scientist and walked o _ _ ver to the formula. She let the psychologist calm the soldier and bring him back to the modern day. She looked over the  _ _ vast chemicals in the lab.  _

_ “Try this” Lena spoke, handing him a liquid to add to the formula. Lena updated the lab records to include the events and the addition to the formula. Then she went to the next lab and checked in with them down there. She moved from lab to lab, helping where she could, fi _ _ nding what she could and helping to fix each problem she could. Her company had projects from helping with PTSD and curing cancer all the way to the next smartphone and the first ever solar powere _ _ d motorcycle. She also had hundreds of successful inventions that were out in the world already. Lives improved, innovations started _ _ , the economy rising, and much more. Yet she felt as though she was an imposter. Those who had the bravery to  _ _ declare _ _ hatred against her, they threw words at  _ _ Lena _ _ that she took with her to bed.  _ _ Lena felt that  _ _ those _ _ who hated her, those who called her a monster, they were the ones who were right. Though  _ _ Lena _ _ couldn’t tell them, she couldn’t stop from  _ _ secretly _ _ agreeing with them.  _ _ As Lena walked to her personal lab, she mused that the world hated her because of her last name. She was a  _ _ Luthor _ _ by name. Her name caused nightmares, triggered PTSD, and destroyed the lives of so many. All because her older brother, because of Lex. She passed her security and opened the door  _ _ to her  _ _ personal _ _ lab. A small  _ _ part _ _ of her knew that she deserved the hate because of her ongoing lab experiment that she had kept only to herself. Truth was, when Lena took over Luthor Corp, she had found a tiny vial of this green substance _ _ in her lab _ _.  _ _ Kryptonite _ _ - _ _ as she  _ _ had since learned- _ _ was the stuff her brother had injected into his victims.  _ _ The screams of those with it in their veins were reportedly the most desperate and loudest of any ever heard. Lena had spent months learning how to replicate it, purely so that she could find a cure, but the fact that  _ _ she knew the formula and how to make it meant Lex won. His drug still could damage millions. Though Lena never let anyone know, and she never did human trials, she still felt as though she deserved the hate that was thrown her way.  _ _ She sat down and started to work on a new formula, one that could reverse the effects. Hopefully this one  _ _ worked _ _. Lena quickly moved from the formula to hovering over her glass vials. pouring the chemicals in that she needed. Lena bit her lip as she watched it cook. Then she walked over to a  _ _ rat and injected the green substance. Listening to its screams, she shuddered, wondering how different the human screams were. After a moment, she took the rat to the formula and injected the new liquid into  _ _ its _ _ veins.  _ _ The screaming subsided, and for a moment,  _ _ Lena _ _ thought that she had it. But then the rat began to foam at the mouth,  _ _ Lena _ _ sighed. Lex had some wa _ _ y _ _ of inputting a kill switch that when combined with any previous formula, had killed the rat. She put the rat in the  _ _ incinerator _ _ and went back to the drawing board.  _

_ Lena pushed the button on the elevator and rode it up to her office. She slightly sighed as she saw the shift of light in the office. The late afternoon light casting its glow. As she sat down, she saw the time. She also saw the papers on her desk and the emails in her inbox.  _

_ “Jess” Lena paged. She sorted out her desk, starting with the topmost pile and opening it. Jess walked in and stood at the edge of the desk. _

_ “Have a good night Jess. I will see you in the morning.” Lena spoke and then returned to her paperwork. She filled out what needed to be filled. _

_ “Thank  _ _ you, Miss Luthor, _ _ ”  _ _ The _ _ secretary spoke before leaving. Lena gave a hum of acknowledgement before continuing to work on the files.  _

**_ She found herself bound to a chair. The bald head of Lex Luthor stood before her. The blonde girl, Kara- from the coffee shop- was there too.  _ **

**_ “Kara!” Lena called out, watching the blonde roll her head up blearily.  _ **

**_ “She spilled coffee on you” Lex spoke, his voice calm, with a hint of anger.  _ **

**_ “You know that that deserves punishment Lena. She deserves so much worse. How dare she touch us  _ ** **_ Luthors _ ** **_!” Lex’s voice rose to a yell, laughing as he pushed the green liquid into Kara’s neck. T _ ** **_ he screams sounded so much like the rats in her lab, and Lena’s own screams tagged along. Lex laughed at her before prodding her until the blonde’s heart gave out from the pain.  _ **

**_ “Oh and thank you for replicating it dear sis. You’re truly wicked” Lex sneered proudly.  _ **

_ Lena shot up from her chair, groaning. Lena saw that she had slept the night in her desk chair. She went to her studio and into the bathroom. Nausea flooded her body and she could feel the bile in her throat. The nightmare was lingering in her mind. She took a shower and begged for her body to so _ _ othe itself. After a few moments of calm in the shower, she got out and dressed in her pantsuit. She put her hair in a tight bun with minimal makeup on. Deciding on su _ _ spenders and a small bowtie, she finished her look with some heels. Lena walked back out and picked up her pen.  _

_ “Good morning Miss Luthor” Jess spoke as she peeked her head in. Lena exchanged  _ _ pleasantries _ _ before opening the last of the pile.  _ _ Jess cleared her throat again. _

_ “Miss Luthor?” Lena looked up. “You have someone here to see you” Lena looked at the clock and then cleared her desk so that it didn’t look so haphazard.  _

_ “Send them in.” Lena responded.  _

_ In walked a very alive, very beautiful, and very cheerful Kara Danvers. Police uniform and all.  _

_ Oh Fuck. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day comes, and with it craziness happens!  
> Maggie's Swagger is gone! Who stole it?  
> Someone gets asked on a date, by who?  
> Oh and you wont believe some of the jokes that Lena sends to her HR team.
> 
> Chapter 2 of Who's there to save the Hero.
> 
> WARNING: Kara has a flashback/Torture scene. It is in bold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun with this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Kara woke up to another screaming fit. It was **the** nightmare. The one that had her grabbing for the knife that Alex had given her. Her knuckles were white as she brought her hand around. The memory was fading at the edges, and as she sat up, she could feel herself re-orienting with the world. Defeated, Kara let the knife go and groaned. Her head swam and her stomach lurched. Forcing the bile back down her throat, she shuddered at the haunting thoughts now swirling in her brain. Though it had been two and a half years since it all came down, she felt the cold sweat running down her neck as though it was only yesterday. 

**Kal** **was on his knees, he** **was covered** **in a thunderstorm of bruises.** **His glasses** **were shattered** **, and his eyelids swollen. The air tasted metallic, and the ground** **was covered** **in little pebbles.** **Kara blinked away the blurred vision, trying to gain some clarity. She had just left her adoptive family for a night with her cousin. She looked around, feeling a pain in her neck as she did so. Groaning, she alerted their captor that she was awake.**

**“Oh good.** **Let’s** **begin.” A bald man spoke as he sneered. His eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion. They were calculating something, she could tell. He looked over at her, not with anger, not with pity.** **Rather as** **though ruling out the possibilities of her next move. She blinked again, trying to lessen the blur.**

**“Lex please, just let her go. You have me.** **That’s** **enough, isn’t it?”** **Kal** **panted as he looked down. His lip** **seemed to slur** **his words. Still, he was lightly shifting, as though trying to see some vantage points. The man, who Kara now knew as Lex, placed his hand on** **Kal’s** **head. He firmly grasped a full hand of his hair and pulled it back, exposing** **Kal’s** **neck.** **Kara could hear the hitch in** **Kal’s** **breath. She could tell he was in pain. She started to turn her wrists, trying to see how much room she had to work with.**

**“You play Superman Kent. You think you can save everyone just because you have a shiny badge. I saw through your undercover stories. The clumsy** **crime** **reporter by day, ‘super’ drug dealer by night. Except, no one ever saw any purchases from you. No, but the drugs were** **supposedly gone** **. Money somehow there. People worshipped you for that. They thought you were a god. I saw through it all.** **I saw how you went to the police every week, opened your** **trunk,** **and gave them** **all** **the product! I saw how you wrote events in your journal. I** **even let it slide when you recorded our meeting with the Triad!** **Talk about foolish, and n** **ow Kent, you** **pay for it. You lost the game of chess,** **it’s** **now over. Checkmate.” Lex spoke, an emotionless smile on his face. From the breast of his pocket, he pulled out a silver** **contraption** **. It had a** **syringe** **attached to it, and the** **syringe** **glowed from a green substance in it. Lex stuck the needle in a large vein** **on** **Kal’s** **neck** **. He pushed the liquid in and watched as** **Kal** **began to scream in pain.** **Immediately, his whole skin lit up with the green racing through his body. It reached his heart, making** **Kal** **scream louder.** **The screams, they were different than ones of pain.** **Kal’s** **screams meant his humanity was** **being stripped** **away.** **Kara’s screams matched, and Lex laughed.**

Kara still had the nightmares of what happened. It didn’t help that everyone who knew what happened still had the audacity to ask if she was okay. Was she? Not really. Her whole world, everything that tied her to her first home was gone. She made the best of her chances though. She was thankful for the Danvers family. She always would be. They treated her like one of their own. Even after Jeramiah had passed away, the three of them had grown closer. She hadn’t ever thought of replacing her birth family, and in a way she hadn’t. In a way she had gained something that she never dreamed of. Something better. Kara looked over to the side where her alarm clock sat. It was only 3 am. She had a few hours to spare. Knowing that sleep was far away now, she got out of bed and put on her uniform. 

Though it wasn’t as crisp as usual, it did the job. And, due to exhaustion, she could only muster a messy bun. Kara scrunched up her face, deciding for it to be a casual ponytail. She shrugged at the change and then strapped on her shoes. She thought about the day ahead. She had two finals to prepare for that would happen tomorrow, then two more at the end of the week. Then she could graduate. Then she could start giving back to the city that had given her so much. 

Kara walked into her kitchen and grabbed the bag with the shirt. She also grabbed the book that she had found the night before. It was a book that would be up Lena’s alley, or so she hoped. After the hints of the true nerd in the CEO, Kara remembered her accidental mistake in ordering two of the same book. It was a painful thing, but beautiful she supposed. She couldn’t return it at the time, and now she was thankful for it. It was a one-of-a-kind type of book. The series of Narnia, with the handwritten letters from C. S. Lewis attached. It had also been signed inside the front cover. 

When Kara was only a child, she related to the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy reminded her so much of herself, having to adapt to a world going upside down. She had sometimes felt so alienated from her adopted family that she would imagine herself as a modern-day Dorothy. As she grew up, she had discovered the world of Narnia and its magic within. She found herself relating to each of the Pevensie siblings as she grew up. With each new relation, her fondness of the Narnian world grew. She could only hope that Lena liked the series as well. 

Kara walked down to the coffee shop and smiled brightly at the staff. The barista looked wearily at her. 

“You’re early” She remarked as she stood up and headed to make Kara’s usual order. 

“I missed ya” Kara joked as she stood at the register. Nia scoffed and shook her head with a smirk. Kara looked at the bag, then to Nia. 

“Hey, could you add Lena’s usual order to this?” Kara asked as she stuck her card into the slot. Nia nodded before adding the order. She thought to herself while the orders were being made. ‘maybe by bringing her coffee, I can sort of make up for yesterday.’ Kara looked up to see Nia holding the bags of food and the drink carrier. She raised an eyebrow before making it all work somehow. 

“Still working late today?” Kara asked as she picked up the drink carrier in her free hand. 

“Yes” Nia replied as she helped to open the door. 

“I'll see you after school for study hour then!” Kara spoke with a grin. With a mission on her mind, she walked to L-Corp. As she stood at the base of the building, she could feel the nerves in her stomach. Gathering all her courage with a deep breath, she walked in and headed to the elevators. All CEO’s had the balcony outside of their office. Kara knew this from many years with good friend Cat Grant. She had seen the balcony on the top floor and pushed the button to take it all the way up. With each ding, she could feel a mix of excitement and anxiousness building in her stomach. All went away once she stepped out of the elevator and onto the quiet top floor. There were only a few people mingling around. One of them sat in front of two large double doors. Kara took that as a good sign and walked up. She read the name on the desk and then spoke with a smile that no one could match. 

“Hello Jess” Jess looked up, and to Kara’s surprise, smirked. She wondered if Jess knew who she was. She cleared her throat and Kara returned to her mission. 

“I’m here to see Lena.” In hindsight, Kara would say that she could have been a bit stronger in her words. But holding up the food and drink carrier just a bit higher had caught the secretary’s eye. She watched the secretary light up. 

“Is that tea from Noonan’s?” Jess asked excitedly. She was looking at the tea bag that hung on the side of it. 

“Yes, it is” Kara spoke, rolling with the punches that she had. Kara set the drink carrier on the desk and the secretary happily pulled it out. After a sip, she nodded and then winked. 

“One second” She whispered before heading in, leaving Kara to stand at Jess’s desk. 

After a few seconds, Jess gave the okay. Kara Danvers walked in to see a sight that made her weak in the knees, and instantly a stuttering mess. Lena Luthor sat in a desk, power suit on- all dry thankfully- with suspenders to match. 

‘Oh Rao.’ 

_Lena looked up as Jess walked through the door. She was holding tea from Noonan’s and nothing else. The CEO frowned. What was she doing?_

_“You’ve got a visitor. A good one. She brought me tea.” Lena leaned back in her chair._ **_Ah_ ** _. She could see the plea in her eyes, (Please be nice so she comes back more_ _). If they brought something for Jess, she loved them. Lena supposed that she was going soft on her secretary because she smirked and nodded._

_“Alright, message received. Are you going to send them in then?” She gave a small smile, one enough to show her that it was okay to._ _The secretary nodded and then rushed out. A few seconds later came a very alive,_ _very_ **_beautiful_ ** _Kara Danvers._

_‘Oh Fuck’_

_Lena sucked in a deep breath as her eyes looked at the_ _blonde_ _. Somehow, this bubbly person was also so beautiful that the only logical explanation was that she_ _wasn’t_ _from Earth. It_ _wasn’t_ _because the woman had any makeup on, no, she could see hints. It was the way the morning sun caught her eyes, it was the way that her hair, in its_ _ponytail, could reflect the sun and make a type of halo around her. It was the way that her smile was perfect, it made one feel welcomed, and instantly relaxed her. Lena_ _found herself giving a smile of her own back._

_“_ _Kara,_ _right? A pleasant surprise.” Lena stood and moved to help relieve the_ _blonde_ _of multiple bags. They set the food on the desk and Kara set her backpack next to the chair that_ _Lena_ _had gestured for her to take._ _The_ _smile that graced the police-in-training's face turned sheepish as she held out the bag._

_“I wanted to bring you back your shirt Ms. Luthor, and to extend my apologies.” Kara spoke with a sincere voice. She could hear that she me_ _ant it. Lena however felt her walls creep up at the mention of her last name. She_ _wasn’t_ _surprised. They were at her_ _work after all_ _. She was, however, a bit disappointed that her last name had made its way into their conversation so quickly_ _, and with it, the reminder of the dark cloud that hung in National City’s history._

“Please, call me Lena” the CEO spoke kindly, almost in a pleading voice. Kara watched the beautiful woman look down slightly. She could understand that feeling, of the past coming to hold them down. Kara decided to shy away from the topic of family. For both of their sakes. Instead she just nodded and handed the woman the bag with the shirt in it. Hoping that for both of their sakes, the past would stay where it was. She doubted that neither of them wanted to divulge any of that right now. Lena took out the shirt and held it to the light. Kara blushed. 

_Lena held the shirt up. It was completely clean. In fact, it was better than when she had first_ _purchased_ _the shirt. It had been_ _properly cleaned_ _, no hint of stain_ _was left_ _, and pressed with the creases in the correct place. She ga_ _ped at state. In awe, s_ _he_ _muttered_ _,_

_“How did...” Lena turned it around and looked at the back, equally pleased._

_“A secret I’ll never tell” The_ _blonde_ _spoke with a_ _smirk_ _. Lena_ _was shocked_ _to hear the teasing voice in the_ _blonde_ _. Though she barely knew her, she would have never guessed that the_ _tone would be able to come from her. She turned to the_ _blonde_ _and received a wink._

_“It only took me an hour to get it all out though, so not much time” Kara spoke, as if it were no big deal._ _She had never experienced someone who_ _wasn’t_ _paid doing something like this. It shocked her to her core. It utterly convinced Lena that Kar_ _a was alien. She had to be. Lena gently folded the shirt and set it next to her. It would_ _go in her personal_ _closet once she was_ _alone again._

“You” Lena had uttered as she folded the shirt. Kara blushed. She started talking, and Rao, she wished she hadn’t. 

“It was pretty simple, and not like I had much to do anyways. Well It wasn’t like I was begging for something to do, nor am I saying that I did that with any hate or anything, I-” She was cut off and internally grateful for the chance to shove her foot in her mouth. 

_Lena s_ _mirked_ _and politely cut off the_ _blonde’s_ _(_ _very cute_ _but_ _you’d_ _catch her dead before admitting it) ramble. Lena looked towards the bag._

_“What is in the other bags?” she asked._

_“Oh!” Kara blinked, her cheeks_ _reddening_ _slightly. The morning sun helped enhance the woman’s face, and Lena could feel the trouble that she was in_ _right then and there_ _. Then, as if_ _Kara had held out this whole time, a huge smile showed on her face._

_“Breakfast!” Kara answered. She started pulling out Lena’s breakfast order, and then the salad she always ordered. Then came what she could only guess was Kara’s breakfast. Two sticky buns, a doughnut,_ _and a couple hard_ _boiled eggs for her. Lena kept a smile hidden as Kara handed her a cup of coffee and set the food out in the respective order._

_“I thought I would bring you breakfast and some coffee- still in the cup this time- as a way of apologizing. Not just for spilling it on you yesterday, but for running out too... That_ _wasn’t_ _very kind_ _o_ _f me. I never do that! It’s just finals week and I couldn’t afford to be late to class.”_ _Kara was rushing out the explanation, and it almost sounded like she was going to ramble again. Almost. Whether from the lack of breath, or_ _embarrassment_ _,_ _maybe even_ _both, her face had gotten_ _redder_ _with each growing second._ _It was_ _adorable_ _. A part of her_ _was also shocked_ _that Kara was being nice to her of all people. The scapegoat for all Luthor hate._ _She watched Kara and took a sip of her coffee._

Kara watched Lena closely, wondering if she ever truly smiled. She took a small bite of her sticky bun before sipping on her coffee. The two ate for a few minutes before the ding of Lena’s computer rang out. Kara’s eyes widened. 

“I should go... you’re most likely super busy with work and running a company” Kara spoke, wondering if that was what Lena wanted. 

“You know, if you have some time, why don’t you join me? It’s nice to have someone to talk with that isn’t regarding my company for once.” Lena bit her lip and **oh** , Kara knew she would happily stay. 

“I've got time! I'm early today so I don’t mind! Though I’m warning you, people have been under-estimating how much I can eat for years.” Kara grinned. 

_“_ _Oh,_ _game on!” Lena spoke and then let out a real smile. She felt that_ _maybe they_ _could be friends, at the very least._ _Maybe she_ _would make her forget about being CEO Lena Luthor and would accept her just b_ _eing Lena._ _She watched as the woman made her way through food. They talked about the police academy, and schooling. Which lead to the pleasant surprise that the_ _blonde_ _was also a major_ _in engineering._

_“I don’t mind explaining! I get the question a lot” Kara answered her shock with a chuckle. “My family has many different engineers in their genes. My mom, well adopted mom, she is a bio engineer._ _She works just outside of Midvale at the lab there. When work is slow though, she spends time at the hospitals as a doctor. My dad was a mechanical engineer, and he taught me a lot about it._ _Then when he passed, my cousin_ _became_ _one too_ _. My sister became inspired by my cousin to leave the labs and join the law side_ _like the rest of my birth family_ _, including my cousin_ _. I guess you could say that I got the be_ _st of both genes.”_ _Lena listened to Kara explain, and while she was shocked that she_ _was adopted_ _, she_ _was not shocked_ _to see that Kara was a_ _rambler_ _. Though Lena_ _didn’t_ _mind. Simply put, it was part of her charm._

_“That makes sense! So, you are going to be a smart cop!”_ _Not many_ _out there are, Lena thought._

_“Yep!” Kara happily spoke._

Talking to Lena seemed to be effortless and amazing all in the same breath. She felt safe with the brunette knowing all this about her. Though, she wondered if mentioning her family was too much. She wouldn’t press Lena about it. It was all Kara could do. She would let Lena mention her Luthor family when she was comfortable. Lena seemed to realize that and then asked another question. 

“So, what does Kara Danvers, esteemed mechanical engineer, cop-in-training Love to do?” she asked with a smile. This led to many talks about their hobbies. Kara confessed to loving reading, watching all sorts of movies, working out, and of course she had to talk about game nights. Lena was intrigued about what kind of games they played. 

“All sorts!” Kara spoke, game nights playing back to back in her head as she listed the games. 

_Lena let out a chuckle and then shook her head. Half of those games she had never played. She then decided to tell Kara about her own hobbies. Letting a small part of the wall down. Lena loved to tinker._ _It_ _’_ _s_ _what she called it when she messed around with p_ _ieces of robots to see what she could make. The_ _blonde_ _knowingly nodded. Then she confessed to her love of music. Especially_ _*_ _NSYNC and the 90’s boy bands._ _Which led them to sing a laughing version of Bye_ _Bye_ _Bye_ _as they shared their favorite song from the band. Lena shook her head as she smiled._

_“I also love reading fantasy books. Growing up I was meant to read the classic literature, Moby Dick, Charles Dickens, Treasure Island, and so many more. When I_ _wasn’t_ _reading those, I was sneaking in reads of Lord of the Rings_ _, Stardust, Game of Thrones_ _, the likes.” Lena spoke with a blush. She watched Kara smile, knowing that they had many similar hobbies. She could feel that this breakfast was something she would never regret or forget. Just then Jess popped_ _her head in._

_“Sorry to interrupt Ms. Luthor, but your 7:30 is in the conference room.” Lena looked at the clock. It was 7:32. That must have been what the most recent ding was about. She thanked Jess and_ _then stood up. The woman cleared her desk off and then set the bag with her lunch and her shirt next to the office door. When she turned around, she saw Kara doing the same._

The time flew for Kara and suddenly she had the violent urge to stay. As if by leaving she wouldn’t have any opportunity to get back in touch with her. 

“I had a great time Lena,” Kara spoke softly. She met Lena’s eyes as the CEO nodded. 

“I did as well Kara” The CEO spoke just as soft, as though speaking too loudly would ruin the moment for them both. Kara felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter, and she decided that it was now or never. After all, Lena had a meeting to go to. 

“I would like to get to know you more... over dinner, this Friday?” Kara asked. She heard her voice crack and sound unsure. She winced inwardly. How could Kara sound like a simple teenager? She was sure that her friends would simply tease about her. She watched Lena raise an eyebrow and tilt her head. She could feel the surprise surround them. 

_Lena must have taken too long to say yes. She was shocked._ _After all, most_ _people_ _wouldn’t_ _touch a Luthor with a Ten-Foot pole. Yet here was Kara, accidentally spilling coffee on her one day, and then the next bringing her breakfa_ _st and asking her out to dinner. She_ _didn’t_ _know what to think of this woman. Though, she assumed it to be wonderful. She then heard Kara’s backtracking._

_“O-of course, if you don’t swing that way or you feel_ _uncomfortable,_ _we don’t have to! We can even do lunch_ _or if you feel better with this being a_ _one-time_ _thing that is fine too._ _I'll_ _get_ _going now, you’ve got work to do_ _still_ _!”_ _Kara was talking herself out of a dinner date that Lena, shockingly, really wanted. It would be better than sitting around in the office while the bars played their loud music and the drunken sounds of si_ _nging lulled her through her paperwork._

_“Kara wait-” Lena spoke, stilling the_ _blonde_ _. She gave her first true gentle smile of the day._

_“Friday it is. How does 8 sound?” She asked her, looking the woman in her eyes. By the blonde’s smile (That matched when she pulled out their breakfast), she kn_ _ew she had an answer. Kara left then, a pep in her step. Lena chuckled to herself before gathering her papers and then headed to the conference room. As she passed Jess’s desk, she saw the tea_ _sitting proudly next to her normal tea collection. Kara was bringing light to many people just by showing up._

_As she walked into the conference room, she schooled her face into her usual business demeanor and_ _shook hands with Moira Queen, and Malcolm Merlyn._ _They sat down and began discussing business. A_ _combined_ _project that could lead to advancements in the human body’s natural systems. Ways to increase immune systems,_ _allow the body to function longer with less water, and more. The project was code named Harun-El, or for the public, Metahuman. They were currently discussing who would take which part of the project, and where the projects would be_ _located_ _. This was the first meeting of three to discus_ _s this section. Lena could see why it would need 3 parts. They_ _hadn’t_ _made any true headway when the meeting_ _came to an end_ _two hours later._

_They left with their files filled with notes, and Lena saw them to the elevator. She returned to her desk. O_ _n it was her daily calendar which held a couple more meetings and then the rest of the day for_ _paperwork_ _. Sitting in the middle was a book. It was a first edition of the Chronicles of Narnia by_ _C.S.Lewis_ _. Lena tilted her_ _head and sat in her chair. She set the files in her hand down and_ _opened_ _the cover. Inside was a little bookmark which had_ _been written_ _on it._

**_Lena,_ **

**_I_ ** **_saw that you_ ** **_were a bit of a nerd like me. Hope you enjoy!_ **

**_~Kara_ **

_On the other side was her number. Lena shook her head and smiled. Cute._ _She saved the number before returning to her daily tasks._

Kara walked out of Lena’s office sporting a massive blush. She could feel her brain trying to short circuit. She stopped at Jess’s desk once more, enacting part 2. She cleared her throat and with a small smile she asked the secretary to help her out. She pulled out the book and handed it to Jess. 

“Could you hand this to Lena after her meeting?” She was surprised to see Jess nod happily and wink. Then the two bade goodbye. Kara walked to the academy with a pep in her step and found herself early still. Kara decided to get on with the work out and headed for the locker room. She changed out and then went to the stretching area. With a gentle hum, Kara worked out all her kinks in her muscles. After a few minutes, her muscles felt warm and loose. She took a deep breath and headed to the pull up station. 

“You're early” came the surprised voice of Maggie. She turned to her friend and smiled. Maggie started doing pull ups next to her. 

“Did the world end or something? You are never this early.” Maggie asked before pulling herself up. 

“Something like that” Kara grunted happily, counting the number of reps in her head. Maggie paused and looked at her. 

“Nightmare or something else?” She squinted, watching Kara. 

“Both” Kara admitted before dropping down. She wiped her face, looking back at Maggie. She could barely keep her excitement in. But before she could announce her news, she had to find out what happened between her and Alex, if anything. 

“Did you ask Alex out?” she asked with a grin. Maggie’s blush was all that she needed. Kara squatted in front of Maggie and gave the shit eating grin that to her friends meant ‘go on.’ Maggie relented. 

“Okay, so she had to work last night, as you know. So, we met up for breakfast this morning” Maggie started, falling in line with Kara’s squats. Kara smirked. It looked like she and Maggie had the same ideas. Oh, Rao that would be embarrassing. 

“We had such a great time at breakfast that I completely forgot to actually ask her out!” Maggie admitted quietly. Kara raised her eyebrows. How had she surpassed Maggie in guts? It was shocking and new news. Kara suppressed a triumphant grin as much as she could. 

“Maggie Sawyer, you have officially lost your swagger!” Kara teased, as it was only natural. They stood up and walked over to the weights, picking out the correct amount and setting them up. Before the conversation could continue though, they were joined by Kate and Sara. 

“What’s this about Maggie losing her swagger?” Kate asked as her and Sara picked out their weights. Maggie let out a groan, and Kara knew that this wouldn’t be the right time to tell them. She kept her date in and smiled. After filling the two in on Maggie’s failed breakfast, Maggie defended herself. 

“Say what you want guys, but Kane still hasn’t gotten her very straight girl, Little Lance is still fawning over hers with no plan in sight, and Little Danvers, you still haven’t done anything with your coffee girl!” Maggie spoke. The group got silent, and everyone was looking at one another. Kara tried to act casual, she really did. She tried her hardest not to smile too big, not to act offended, or to give herself away. Except, she made eye contact with Sara. All it took was one look and Sara knew. 

“Shut up” Sara gasped, causing all the other girls to look at her. Her mouth was wide in a smile and Kara could feel the blush rising on her cheeks. 

“You stole the Sawyer Swagger?” She asked dubiously. Everyone turned their heads to look at her and Kara put her weights down. She had kept Lena’s name a secret yesterday and was thankful for that now. She decided then and there that if this thing with Lena got more serious that it would be up to her to decide how they showed off their PDA. Right now, it was a simple date with a businesswoman. The group all waited for her answer. Kara grinned at them and then looked to Maggie. 

“Sorry Mags.” She gave a shrug. Maggie dropped her weights and gave her a hug, ending with a shoulder pat. Before they could get any information out though, their group alert rang, it was time for class. The group showered out and went their separate ways to their classes. They all promised to show up to Study Hour at Noonan’s and Kara in turn, promised that she would share the story. 

Kara found herself in her last class, which was as entertaining as listening to nails on a chalkboard. It was her profiling class. Instead of a final though, they were doing psychological presentations on whomever they could. This meant a ton of Lex Luthor psychological presentations were given. None of them rang true though. Several of her classmates missed out on one key information. The thing that they could never understand. Why would he take an FBI agent and torture him? It was the question that everyone was asked when they were finished with their presentation. She was thankful that she had remained anonymous when testifying. It was hard enough to be known as the cousin of ‘Superman’. If the world knew that she had been there, she was sure that they wouldn’t give her rest. She evaluated the psychological profiles with the rest of the class and then was told she would present the next class. 

With that the time was up and it was time to head to Noonan’s. Kara packed up and headed back to the coffee shop. When she got there, she reserved the back corner and set it up for the study hour. Then she sent out a text to her friends to let them know it was all set up. She ordered herself a coffee before setting her notes out and studying for her finals. 

Kara started with her undercover final. Her disguise needed a background. It needed to sound realistic and it needed to make sense. Her undercover disguise was normal enough that she could pass it off. Carefully, she began to craft the story. Simplicity was good, it meant it was easy to remember. Using unimportant things from her own past helped too. 

Around her, names were called. Order after order was filled, and the light on Kara’s paper shifted. Eventually Winn set up next to her, his head buried in his books and his notes. A silent understanding fell over them that Studying was more important. One by one, more people showed up. Kara went from one subject to the next. She could feel the start of a headache pounding in her head by the way her eyes ached. She took breaks to check on everyone else, to grab something to eat or drink, use the restroom, or to clean up her small messes. In the late afternoon, Kara took a break to get some fresh air. All her friends were there now, and everyone was studying. Kara took out her phone and called Alex. 

“Hey Alex!” Kara greeted with a smile as she heard the phone pick up. She leaned against a tree. 

“Kara, how are you?” Alex asked from the phone. She could hear the office sounds and knew that Alex was still working. She felt thankful that she had such a close relationship with her sister. 

“I’m tired, but pretty happy. How are you?” Kara asked as she picked at the string on her pants. She watched the cars drive past her. 

“It’s really busy here, we are dealing with that group and it’s been a race to see who can tell what they are doing first? But you, you are almost done with the academy! How are finals going?” Alex spoke, a beeping sound coming through with her voice. Most likely from a computer or an alarm. 

“Oh, that sounds pretty crazy. Any luck yet? Finals are going well, but that’s not why I’m happy.” Kara admitted with a blushing smile that had her casting her eyes to the ground. 

“I’ll bite. What’s got you in such a good mood?” Alex inquired. Kara heard a door open and shut. Silence came. She loved Alex for it. That silence meant Alex had given her undivided attention. She always had when Kara had something to share. Kara smiled widely. 

“I’ve got a date this Friday.” Kara could barely keep her voice level, and the smile she sported made her cheeks ache in the best way. She was cautious, because of all people, her family knew what happened the last time that a Luthor came into their life. However, Kara knew better. At least she hoped that she did. The Lena that she met this morning was different than even the best articles about her claimed her to be. She was better than the words could describe. Though, she doubted anyone would welcome her with arms wide open, save for Eliza. 

“That’s great Kara! Tell me that you are planning on wearing the blue dress.” Alex spoke, and the smile on her face could be heard from where Kara stood. Kara nodded, and then cleared her throat. 

“I was thinking that one or the black one.” She chuckled before hearing Alex’s name being called by her boss. 

“Blue looks better on you, you know this. I’ll call you later. Love you!” Alex spoke into the phone before hanging up. Kara took a deep breath and smiled. She slid her phone in her pocket before heading back in and continuing her studies. 

After a while, when she was on her last class, a coffee was put in front of her. Scratch that, it was her favorite coffee and there was writing on the side. In elegant script the words: I’ll see you Friday Kara were written. Below was a phone number. Trying to be nonchalant, she put the number in her phone and saved it as Lena’s. Then she sent a cheeky reply. 

“You can count on it!” She looked around to see if Lena was still there but was a little disheartened to see that she wasn’t. With a small nod, Kara sipped on the coffee and finished up her studies. 

_Lena had half a mind to reschedule_ _all_ _her meetings for the next week. She simply had so much paperwork that needed to_ _be done_ _. She supposed that it_ _didn’t_ _need to be like this, sure, but she liked knowing what her_ _employees were up to. She liked to_ _read through_ _the reports to make sure nothing was hiding. When she was satisfied with the report, she would sign off. Len_ _a had been working on the pile since the Merlyn-Queen meeting. After a few hours on the paperwork, she was pleased to see that she had finished most of it. All that_ _was left_ _was the papers that were piling up for tomorrow. Looking at her laptop, she saw that it was now 11:30_ _and that it was already lunch time. She had been working since the start of the day, save for breakfast with Kara. Speaking of, the_ _blonde_ _had brought her lunch as well. Lena walked into the small studio and grabbed her lunch from the minifridge._ _She enjoyed the greens as she sent off the completed files. With the motivation from her lunch in her to keep going, Lena seemed to dive into the paperwork for the next day. By the time that her salad bo_ _wl hit the trashcan, she only had a couple files to go through that had just come in from Jess. One of them was the Harun-El meeting. As Lena wrote, she thought back to the earlier morning. Merlyn seemed_ _shift_ _y_ _, as though aching to_ _be done_ _with the process so they could all have their respective projects. They both did though. Moira seemed_ _more timid_ _than_ _Malcolm. Both acted as though they were trying to have Lena sign onto something that she_ _wasn’t_ _aware of._ _Thankfully_ _Lena_ _had learned a lesson or two on trusting people. She signed the report and sent it to Jess._

_“Ms. Luthor, the_ _HR_ _team is ready for you in the conference room._ _I also have the shirt you asked me to take to the cleaners yesterday._ _” Jess spoke as she picked up the file._

_“Wonderful._ _If_ _you’ll_ _just set it on my desk, I will take care of it once I return._ _”_ _She grabbed the_ _Manila_ _folder from the drawer and headed to the conference room. The CEO greeted the HR team with smiles and professional hellos. Then_ _she handed out the papers inside of the folder. She was putting out some new_ _positions_ _to fill the Lab that she was setting up just outside of the city. One of the_ _women_ _in the team frowned at the location._

_“Ms. Luthor this is_ _your brother’s old lab. Is it safe? Has it passed inspections?” The CEO could tell it was the question on_ _everyone’s_ _mind._ _She nodded and showed them the slideshow pictures that she had personally taken of the empty place._

_“The inspection report is on page three. I personally walked through and took these pictures. It is safe and ready for the_ _renovations_ _to change into a lab.” Lena assured them. Everyone seemed more relaxed and were satisfied with the answer._ _They moved on to how many people they would be hiring, the salaries of each, and the budget to which the teams would have for each research project. Then they moved to L_ _ena’s favorite part of the_ _meeting,_ _Job descriptions. Ever since she had jokingly sent HR a job d_ _escription to sign off on, they had written them together._

_Apparently “Getting paid to mix drugs and try them out”_ _wasn’t_ _read with the joking manner that she had sent it with. In her defense, it was a_ _pharmaceutical_ _research position. What more did people_ _need_ _?_ _Lena_ _dismissed the meeting after they had sorted out the job descriptions. She walked back to her desk to see that other than the shirt, there was nothing on her desk for her. No tasks to_ _do, no_ _meetings left. She_ _had no work to do_ _right then and there_ _._ _With a nod, she took the bag with the shirt and powered down her laptop and phone. Then she walked out to Jess’s desk._

_“Jess, I’ll be out of the office for the rest of the day. Should you need me, you can reach me on my personal phone.” She gave her the look of ‘please don’t need me’ and watched her secreta_ _ry nod. Lena only left early_ _once in a blue moon_ _. Today was one of those days. The woman walked from her office to the elevator, then to where her driver_ _was parked_ _. She had her driver take her to her apartment._

_The second that Lena walked in, she felt at peace. Happily, she kicked off her heels and stripped off the business clothes. She walked to her room and placed them in the dirty hamper. She stepped into the shower then, washing the past few days off_ _. She dried off and let her hair hang. The woman took her contacts out and switched them for glasses. Then with a smile, she headed to her closet, grabbing her jea_ _ns, her favorite white shirt, and a dark grey_ _shawl_ _._

_Thanks to the years of being a CEO, the public rarely knew her without her full war-suits on. It meant that they could barely tell when she was_ _out and about_ _in her normal clothes._ _It was a plus to being known as a Luthor with style. The downside was that her bookshelves were flowing with books she intended to read but never got to it. She had a pile of books that was growing every day of books she needed to read. Time_ _s like this called for curling up on a sofa somewhere with a cup of tea and reading until that place closed._

_So, Lena set off with the book in hand. She went from coffee shop to coffee shop looking for the comfiest_ _sofas and the right amount of chatter. The only coffee shop in the area that had exactly what she was looking for was_ _Noonan’s. Lena ordered a tea and headed for the quietest corner. Across the way were some students studying, she_ _didn’t_ _pay them much mind. Instead she sipped her_ _cuppa_ _and_ _opened_ _the book._ _As the book propped open, she caught a glance of_ _C.S.Lewis’s_ _signature in the bottom._ _Clearly this book was different. She looked at the book closer. The_ _re was a slight wear and tear of the spine, done purely by age. The pages were slightly yellowed, as though it had been stuck on someone’s bookshelf. Lena smiled at the handwriting on the bookmark as she took it out. It had been so long since anyone had given her two thoughts beyond her la_ _st name and her company. She remembered, briefly, how her birth mother and_ _she_ _had so many fun adventures all_ _through_ _the pages of many books._ _She took delight in reading the book_ _, letting the story whisk her away._

_She chuckled at the comedic duo of Polly and Diggory. She gasped at the destruction of Charn, and the sheer power of Jadis. Lena kept ordering refills of her tea_ _as she read about the creation of Narnia. She secretly cheered for Diggory when he told the witch off and planted the apple. As the Magician’s Nephew_ _ended_ _, she looked up from the pages._

_She saw that it was just her and the group in the back. The brunette yawned and stretched. She put the bookmark in its place before standing up and stretching again. As she walked to the counter to pay for her drinks, she s_ _aw Kara Danvers sitting in the back. Deciding not to be awkward and walking up, Lena decided to order Kara whatever her favorite cup of coffee_ _. She paid for the bill and then wrote a message on the side of the cup with her number. It was cheesy, Lena knew that. The woman_ _just seemed to draw_ _it out of her. However, the_ _cowardice_ _inside of Lena had her out of the door before Nia could deliver it._

_Lena was about a block away from the coffee shop, book in hand, when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her_ _pocket_ _and looked at the screen._

_Kara: ‘You can count on it!’_

_Lena smiled and then dialed her best friend up._

_“Sam, get some wine and meet me at my place” She spoke as a greeting. Sam_ _muttered_ _an okay before hanging up. Lena knew that she was going to have a great night._

_As the elevator slid open to her apartment, Lena saw Sam standing outside her door with take out in one hand and wine in the other. She was_ _just about to_ _knock when she saw Lena. The CEO hurried to the door and opened it up, offering to_ _free one hand for her. Within minutes the wine_ _was poured_ _, the food sorted, and *NSYNC softly playing in the background._

_“Okay now that I am here, we have the food, and our wine is poured....” Sam looked around the place, taking in stock_ _all_ _the things that might have changed since she had last been there. With a_ _smirk_ _, her eyes settled on Lena._

_“Spill” She told Lena and sipped the wine. Lena sat her wine on the table and looked to Sam._

_“I have a date” She admitted with a sheepish smile. Leading her to tell her best friend all about Kara Danvers and_ _all_ _the events that happened between them. Sam eyed her knowingly. She could see the CEO and could_ _guess_ _where_ _th_ _e relationship would go._ _All from Lena’s smile and blush. They talked into the night. Some about Kara, some about Ruby, and then some on just random stuff that they found interesting. Leaving Lena’s day to end as it started, in the best way_ _._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I gotta know, what did you guys think? What's your favorite line? By far mine was the "Mixing drugs and trying them" job description. That is my mind when I write without being fully awake.
> 
> Up next:  
> Friday night! The big Friday Night! You know, with the date.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first date. Awwww

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is! I didn't realize how hard it is to write about love when I am not in it myself. Hopefully I did it justice though!

_ The clock ticked slowly. Each second seemed to last hours. Were it not for the board members around her, Lena was sure she would be able to hear the turns of the  _ _ gears. _ _ The members were talking optics. With  _ _ an _ __ _ inward _ _ sigh,  _ _ she focused on the conversation. They were arguing if it was reasonable to sponsor the small family-owned bookstore down the street. They had already reluctantly agreed to the high school team and a _ _ few science  _ _ fair events _ _. Lena had pushed for those. She wanted to make sure the kids had the opportunity to do whatever they wanted.  _ _ It was too perfect to let pass. She listened as the members finally came to a consensus. Less money than their original pitch, but at least they would fund them. Lena tapped on her pen as she studied the sheets  _ _ in front of her. She watched the spreadsheet with rapt interest, the numbers seeming to show potential for the Luthor name turning back to good. At long last the head had given them all the okay. She gave her best pro _ _ fessional smile as she shook the hands of the old white men. Without a second to hesitate, she picked up her folder and started to head to the door.  _

_ “You know, it would be wonderful if next time you’d show some more interest in our meeting.” The head of the board said as he walked out behind her.  _

_ “You know as well as I do  _ _ that, _ _ I _ _ am plenty interested in those meetings.” Lena spoke as she opened the door. She felt the itch to flee before he could wrap her into another awkward conversation that would take them to the next meeting to resolve. Instead she caught up with the other members and polit _ _ ely showed them to the elevator. With a smirk, she watched the men get in the elevator and the doors close. Good. _

_ As the CEO walked back to her desk, she could hear the anticipation of the weekend in the chatter of her employees.  _

_ “What are you doing this weekend?”  _

_ “ _ _ I'm _ _ taking the wife and kids to the  _ _ lake. The kids want to bring their friends so we might end up camping.” _

_ “That sounds great, Tami and I are heading to the movies tomorrow night who knows how it will end though.”  _

_ She subtly shook her head at the conversations her employees were partaking in. Resigning to the feeling, she decided it would be best to finish her files and then send everyone home. So as Lena sat at her desk, _ _ she put on her  _ _ Friday _ _ music and breezed through the papers. Finally, she sent in the file and managed to take a breath. She steadied her excitement  _ _ and anxiety as she stood up and walked to the office doors.  _

_ “Jess. Send everyone home early today.” Lena spoke to get her secretary’s attention. She didn’t catch the  _ _ shocked look on her secretary’s face, nor the concern for her next words. _

_ “ _ _ Oh-and _ _ have a great weekend.” Lena added as she locked her office door. With that Lena headed to the elevators. All around her she could hear the  _ _ excitedly _ _ confused  _ _ murmurs of her employees. She texted her driver to bring her personal car to the garage and waited by the door. As she stepped in, Jess joined her. They rode in _ _ silence to the first floor where her secretary got off. Then she rode to the underground parking lot, seeing it almost completely empty. As Lena walked to the side of the lot, she saw her baby come into view. When she said baby, she meant it. It was the first car she had ever ow _ _ ned. She took pride in it, and nothing could take that away.  _

_ “Thank you, Frank” She spoke with a smile before replacing him in the driver’s seat. She watched him walk away back to his car and then for him to head to his home.  _ _ As she settled in the seat, she closed her eyes and just let the moments pass.  _

_ This car had saved her. She had found it in the junkyard down the street from Lillian’s house.  _ _ When she found it, it _ __ _ w _ _ as just the frame and a bit of the interior _ _ that she had to work with. Instantly she had fallen in love with it though, so she had walked up to the owner of the yard and asked how much it was. They worked out a deal how many hours she had to work in order to buy it. Lena had worked  _ _ hard for that car. Often putting in  _ _ 12-hour _ _ days with the junkyard in the summer. To which, she had finally earned it. It wasn’t often that a CEO could proudly say they owned a  _ _ ‘66 Mustang convertible. Lena found it added to her personality. _

_ From then on it had saved her life. She drove it when she needed to get away from Lillian. She drove it to MIT. It was what she drove to sneak away from her life and to Jack’s place. It was what she was driving when _ _ she met Andrea. It was what she drove when she found out that Lex was a criminal, and she needed some air. It had been there for it all. _

_ Lena opened her eyes and turned on the music. _

**_ ‘O _ ** **_ ne of these nights, one of these crazy old nights _ ** **_ ’ _ ** **__ **

_ She peeled out of the car lot and onto the streets of National City and smiled as she  _ _ headed towards her apartment. She lowered the top and let the wind run through her hair. It helped her to calm down. She then nodded her head to the Eagles music. S _ _ he had felt that Kara would take her on this date and realize that she wasn’t as entertaining as initial _ _ ly thought. Lena expected the date to fail. She expected to bore the blonde and that it would turn into yet another failed attempt.  _ _ Lena assumed that Kara wouldn’t call her or reach out to her after this date. Then Lena would feel the bitterness of her mother’s teachings wash over her once again. She turned back to the music. _

**_ ‘ _ ** **_ I've been searching for the daughter of the devil himself’ _ **

_ Lena tapped the beat on the side of her car, listening to her car purr as she sped up. Then as she  _ _ made the  _ _ turn, _ _ she  _ _ remembered Roulette. Her first love and the most  _ _ mischievous _ _ one. Their parents were both  _ _ exceedingly _ _ horrible, and together they bonded on the hatred of their parents. Of course, they also had to compete with one another as to  _ _ be the best. Lena had ended it when  _ _ Roulette had shown her just how evil she could be. It hurt for them both. _

**_ ‘ _ ** **_ I've been searching for an angel in white _ ** **_ ’ _ **

_ She recalled Andrea Rojas. The innocent woman who she had fallen for next. Oh man. They had been almost inseparable. In fact, when Andrea jumped, so did Lena. That was their deal.  _ _ That was perhaps what made her betrayal so painful and deep. Andrea had stolen something from their journeys.  _ _ Something that Lena was going to use to find out more about her birth family. It still hurt to this day. _

  
**_‘_** ** _I've been waiting for a woman who's a little of both_**   
**_And I can feel her but she's nowhere in sight_** ** _’_**

_ Lena chuckled.  _ _ This song could be about her. She turned down the music as she pulled into her parking lot. She had paid for the underground garage to be entirely hers. She had a few other classics down here, and she only let her driver come down here.  _ _ That way she never had to worry about one of these cars getting a scratch. As Lena parked her car, she shut the music off and took out the keys. She walked to her personal elevator and hummed as she pushed the penthouse floor button. As she s _ _ tepped into her place, she heard the shower calling her name. Taking her time to put on some more Eagles songs _ _. She  _ _ lightly swayed as she walked into the bathroom. As the spray of the water came on, she turned up the volume and let it hype her up. The young CEO stripped and stepped into the shower. She sighed in pleasure as the wo _ _ rk week stress melted away.  _

_ As she got out of the shower, she whistled the last bits of the song with the speakers before  _ _ drying off. She let her hair stay down and looked over her clothes, trying to see what she should wear. The music around her paused and then a single ding sounded off in the room before the music returned. Lena wal _ _ ked out in her robe and looked at the phone. She  _ _ saw three messages.  _

**_ Ruby: Auntie Lee, ma told me all about your date! Just be cool and she will love you. Like I do! _ **

**_ Sam: Lee, have fun tonight. Relax. She sounds different from the rest.  _ **

**_ Agent Lane: UPDATE MEETING TOMORROW 08:45. _ **

_ Lena made note of the last one in her calendar. She made sure to update her work calendar with the meeting as well before getting ready to put her phone away. Then she felt her heart clench and butterflies flew in her stomach. _

**_ Kara: Lena, I got off early. How about 7 instead?  _ **

**_ Lena: Sounds wonderful! See you then Kara. _ **

_ Lena smiled and then set the phone down. She for a moment felt the feelings of doubt. Though, she could feel the moments fleeting. Though it still was a lot. She hadn _ _ ’t been on a date since Jack. She hadn’t been with anyone in a meaningful way since Andrea... _ _ She felt the urge to call it off as the doubt crept up again. That act would be utterly  _ _ ruthless _ _ and vile. Those were supposedly her best personality traits though, along with  _ _ horrendous _ _ , nasty, and so many that her pride wouldn’t allow her to name. _ _ Lena poured herself a glass of wine to take the nerves off a bit and then walked back into her closet. She decided on a sleek black dress and some nice heels. She laid the outfit on her bed before heading to the bathroom to put on her makeup _ _ and do something with her hair. _

_ As the sun set, Lena had finished off the glass and gotten dressed. She was typing up an email to send to the companies she was investing in, to make sure that they had her contact information and set up some meetings discussing further actions they could take _ _. She was just about to send it off to the HR team when she felt her phone buzz.  _

**_ Kara: I’m here.  _ **

_ Lena shut off the computer and turned off all the lights. She grabbed her clutch, keys, and phone before heading down the elevator. She walked out of the lobby and scanned the parking lot. Her eyes fell on the one that stuck  _ _ out like a sore thumb. A light blue 1952 Chevy  _ _ Styleline _ _ Deluxe Convertible. With the top down, she could see Kara’s radiant smile and sunglasses on he _ _ r head. She felt her breath rush out and felt no chance of it coming back. The car rolled up and parked in front of her. _

_ “Wow” Lena whispered as she took in the sight. She watched as Kara got out and walked over to her. With a hand on the handle, she took in the sight. Lena felt her ch _ _ eeks warm at the obvious appraisal written on the blonde’s face.  _ __

_ “Wow yourself” She breathed and smiled. Kara looked absolutely radiant, hair lightly curled, but resting softly against her shoulders. The dress Kara wore was red, and it hugged her body, showing off her curves. Lena smiled softly as she watched Kara open the door for her. Lena sat in the car and watched fondly as Kara dashed around to _ _ open her door. _ __ _ Once the two were sitting down, Lena found Kara  _ _ looking at her again. She saw a serious expression on the blonde’s face. A soft smile that displayed her little dimple _ _ on the upper side of her cheek. Kara’s eyes were _ _ lit up by the  _ _ lobby and she could tell that they were looking directly at her. Lena felt the slight panic as Kara gave her undivided attention. _

_ “You are absolutely beautiful.” Kara whispered. Lena watched as inspiration lit up on the woman’s face. Lena blushed slightly. _

_ “Thank you,” She whispered, “As are you Kara.” Lena meant it. It had been a while since her eyes landed on someone as amazing as Kara. Though she still held out the assumption that she wouldn’t hear from her after th _ _ e date. Kara blushed and ducked her head, as if denying the compliment, while still letting it sink in. Then they took off down the road.  _ _ Lena felt that the silence to start them off was comfortable. She watched Kara drive, and noticed the  _ _ u _ _ tmost care that went into driving the car.  _

====================================================================

Kara had gotten off that Friday early. She had finished the remainder of her finals and would hear the results tomorrow. She then thought to her date, realizing with maybe a bit of nervous ness that she didn’t have a way to get them to Rao’s save for her bike. That wouldn’t work, not tonight. She quickly dialed up Alex, chewing on the inside of her lip as she waited for her sister to pick up.

“Hey Kara, what’s up?” Alex picked up. Kara could hear the mutterings of her agency behind her. Kara decided then and there to make this short and sweet so that she could let her sister get back to it. As Kara started walking  to her sister’s work. Since Alex’s bike was in the shop, she took Kara’s. 

“Can I have the keys to  J’onn’s car?” Kara asked, walking faster to get there quicker.

“No Kara,  J’onn may be gone for the week but that does not mean that I can give you his car.” Alex spoke. She heard her sister order some agents on how to work the cameras. It was much harder to do this on her phone, especially when she knew Alex would cave once she saw the Kara Pout TM. Kara huffed. 

“Come on Alex! I drive so much better now!” Kara protested weakly. She could hear her voice dying out by the end of the sentence. She heard her sister scoff. Kara had accidentally  totaled her sister’s old ca r while visiting her mother in the winter.

It had been extremely icy when she went, and there was a family of deer that were passing by. Kara had accidentally stepped too hard on the breaks. It broke the lever, so she had to result  to the emergency break to stop. Due to her fright, she had  clutched the wheel and the Emergency break stick  so hard that if Alex had brought her fingerprinting kit, she could easily get a print. It had reminded her of the Incredibles. Both had clear grips from where her hands were.  Needless to say, it was the last time Alex had let her drive one of her cars. Kara hadn’t minded because being on a motorcycle was just like flying, and she loved that feeling more than anything in the world. 

She walked up the stairs to Alex’s department and when she opened the door, she saw her sister hang up their call.  Immediately she fixed her pout and puppy eyes. Everyone else looked away, knowing that this was a normal interaction with her sister.

“No Kara- It won’t work this time! I– No- Stop with those eyes!” Alex covered her eyes and turned away. Kara stepped up next to her sister. She pulled out her backpack and grabbed the transcript of her classes that had already posted the final grades.

“Please Alex? Look, how about this? Look, I passed that!” She asked, pointing to the Driving class. She had gotten an A- thankfully. Her sister took the transcript and looked at it closely. She frowned  slightly and let out an  exasperated sigh. She handed it back and then took Kara to her office. Inside, she reached into the desk and pulled out  J’onn’s keys. 

“One scratch Kara. One tiny, miniscule scratch and the man will kill us both. So please... treat her kindly.” Alex asked defeatedly as she tossed the keys to Kara. Kara caught the keys and soared  as she felt the weight in her hand. Kara gave her sister a tight squeeze and squealed happily. Alex shook her head with a smile and then hugged her back. 

“You better act like I said no when we go back out there.” She warned as she looked to where the agents were working. Then she cleared her throat.

“Since you’re taking the car, I’m going to keep the bike keys.  I'll see you later sis.” With that Alex walked out, schooling her face into one of slight annoyance and determination. Kara  matched it with a face of defeat and shrouded her shoulders. As she walked out of the building, she headed towards the parking lot where  J’onn’s car sat. She smiled widely as she sat in the driver’s seat. Caref ully she headed back to her apartment to take a shower and get ready. 

Kara’s apartment was filled to the brim with all things comfy and cozy. There were bookshelves hammered into the wall that were sagging with older books.  There were paintings that Kara had painted here and there hung proudly on the walls. There was a small Tv perched on an entertainment stand which housed every type of movie from VHS, to DVD, to some in a Netflix p lastic sleeve. All of which housed movies she had rented first and bought once she realized how amazing it was. The couches she had were ones that anyone could sink into. They had  some weighted blankets over the top acting in the place of a throw or two.

The kitchen had a high island which doubled as the kitchen table. Behind was the oven and classic stove. Cabinets filled with all kinds of food were all around . A tea kettle and a coffee press sat proudly on the counter next to the stove, as if drying from previous use. The fridge had multiple pictures, reports, and fun little messages held up by equally colorful magnets. All of which  enhanced t he  homey feeling.  Kara walked to her bathroom which was next to her bedroom and turned on the water. She stripped the uniform off and then jumped in.  As she exited the shower, she realized how early it was. She decided to text Lena. 

**_ Kara: Lena, I got off early. How about 7 instead?  _ **

**_ Lena: Sounds wonderful! See you then Kara. _ **

Kara smiled and then laid out some dresses. As she did, Alex walked in. She had offered to help her pick out the date outfit. Kara decided to try on a pink one. As she walked out, she saw her sister helping herself to a large glass of Scotch. Kara smiled and shook her head. Alex looked at her and raised an eyebrow. It was stiff,  it was one suitable for going to a wedding. Not a date. Kara nodded in understanding before heading back to her room and changing it. She put on a red dress with a low- ish neckline. The dress ran down to her thighs and had a slight split on the side.  It was loose and it flowed. 

“Where are you taking her?” Alex asked from the couch, and Kara heard the sound of the stereo playing softly. Kara walked out of her room and smiled at Alex. 

“Rao’s” she answered while watching Alex’s reaction. When her sister let out a low whistle, she knew that it was the right one. And it felt right.  Kara smiled as Alex stood, picking up a necklace from Kara’s table and handing it to her. It was one that  was in the shape of a tear. It had been made from black obsidian and it was one that her birth mother had given to her. Kara smiled as her sister put it around her neck. 

“There , now just wear your contacts and you’ll be set. ” Alex spoke softly . Kara looked in the mirror and fully agreed. It looked great on her. She gave Alex a hug before stepping to put on her shoes. She heard Alex chuckle.

“Kar, Hair” Alex settled back into the couch, rifling through the newest stack of DVD’s. Kara went to the bathroom and  lightly curled her hair. She put on minimal makeup, just enough to enhance what she already had working for her before heading back to where Alex was sitting. She had put on Netflix and was watch ing WACO.  Kara had seen bits, but didn’t really think anything of it. 

“Don’t start the next episode of Homeland without me!” Kara called out from the kitchen. She was making sure that she had everything in her little bag. With a glance to the clock, she saw that it was half past 6. She had to get going. 

“I won’t” Alex spoke as she walked up to Kara and put her glass in the kitchen. 

“Better?” She asked her sister. 

“Much” Alex grabbed her wallet and turned off the TV.  She put her  hands on Kara’s shoulders and looked in her sister’s eyes. 

“Have fun tonight, try not to overthink and just let it be fun alright?” Kara nodded with a nervous smile. As the two walked out, Kara locked up.  They walked to the garage where Alex straddled her bike. 

“Kara! Remember-”

“Not one miniscule scratch! I will. Or won’t- as in I will remember but I won’t scratch it!” Kara called back as Alex watched her start the car. With a nervous smile, she waved before heading to Lena’s place.  She pulled up to a large apartment  and idled near the back of the lot. She looked the building up and down before making sure she was in the right place. 

**_ Kara: I’m here. _ **

Kara thought aloud, “At least I think I am.” She turned her eyes to the front door and then after a moment of hesitation, she pull ed up to the front. As she parked, she saw Lena standing there. Immediately all the breath was gone from Kara. She couldn’t breathe and it was absolutely delic i ous. Kara was thankful for her body’s habitual breaths it took, becau se she doubted that she would have been able to breathe without it. 

“Wow” she heard Lena say. And suddenly her body was getti ng out. Kara walked over to the door and opened it for Lena. She watched the CEO blush slightly as Kara took in the sight. She wore this black dress, and it hugged her in the best of ways. Lena look ed breathtaking, and knew that she was in trouble. 

“Wow yourself” Kara whispered softly, watching Lena sit in the car.  Oh Rao was she lucky. Kara walked over to her seat and sat back down. She looked to Lena and enjoyed taking the sight in a few more minutes. 

“You are absolutely beautiful.” Kara whispered. She felt slightly overwhelmed at the sight of such a beautiful, powerful woman before her. She watched as Lena’s cheeks became lightly pink and felt her stomach lurch at the words coming out of her mouth.

“Thank you,” She whispered, “As are you Kara.”  Kara blushed slightly. Her feelings intensifying at the words spoken. With a smile, she  ducked her head. What this woman was doing to her mind every time she was around was insane. She  put the car in drive and carefully eased it out of the lot. As they got onto the road, she could feel how obvious it was that she was being so careful. She risked a quick glance to Lena, seeing suspicion written on her face.  As they turned on the off ramp that would take them down the coast, she opened her mouth.

_ “I borrowed the car from a good friend of mine,” Kara spoke, as if she could tell that Lena was about to question it. Lena tilted her head. Kara let out a sheepish chuckle which did nothing to help the butterflies in her stomach. _

_ “Currently I don’t own a car, my sister and I own a couple of motorcycles that we use when we want to go on road trips, but otherwise I choose to walk or take the bus.” The blonde explained and Lena felt shock that the woman would borrow a car just for the date. _

_ “Well Thank you. It’s a beautiful car. I’ve got a couple classics as well” Lena spoke with a smile, watching as Kara slowed to a stop at a light. She saw Kara’s eyes light up and they were filled with a soft relief. Relief of what? Lena then shifted slightly. _

_ “So where are we going?” She asked, and watched Kara’s eyes twinkle with excitement and mischief. _

_ “Rao’s” Kara spoke with a smile. _ _ Lena raised an eyebrow. Rao’s? It sounded interesting for sure. She found a slight bit of excitement of trying something new.  _ _ Lena found her mind wondering back to the book that was given to her. She looked out to the ocean and then asked her softly, _

_ “Do you think it exists?” _

Kara thought about what that meant. She saw Lena looking out to the ocean. As emerald eyes met hers, she saw the small smile on the woman’s lips. 

“Narnia, I mean.” Lena supplied for Kara, which meant that Lena had read the book. She could feel her blood rush in excitement. Lena had read the book, of course she had, but still hearing acknowledgement like this. Kara thought about her answer. As a child she had escaped to Narnia, if not in her dreams, then by imagination alone. 

“It very well could. I like to think it does” She answered softly. She smiled and listened to the hum come from Lena. 

“Would you rather explore Narnia or Charn?” Kara asked, wondering how interesting each place would have been. Though Kara knew that she would never give up her dreams of seeing Narnia in p erson. 

“Neither” Lena answered. She leaned forward and talked with her hands, which Kara watched from the corner of her eyes while driving. 

“I’d explore the world between worlds. You know, the wood with all the ponds. That would be where I go. All those ponds lead to a new world, each with amazing opportunities. The multidimensional opportunities  and being able to travel to them has been long  sought after.  After all, we know how Narnia views outsiders, but what if other worlds were like ours, save for a couple different things. Of-course the chance to discover more magical words is always a possibility and a long-time dream . I would much rather  be exploring all of those than trying to replicate an experience in Narnia.”

Kara smiled. She could see Lena in some type of adventure wear with splash boots and a journal, exploring each world to her heart’s content. She could see the brunette having  unparalleled amounts of fun as she made notes with each new disco very. 

“That I can totally see. I wonder if it’s possible though, I mean to create a portal, like they did with the rings, and later the wardrobe.” She saw Lena smile and lean back in her seat.

“Anything is possible if we dare to try.” Kara smiled at that. Up ahead the lights from Rao’s shined. Kara’s heart thudded happily. She pulled into the almost empty lot and parked in one of the corners where no cars were.  As she shut off the car, she got out and opened the door for Lena. She watched as Lena stood up. Her eyes lit up in the artificial light from Rao’s sign. She watched as Lena looked all around. Her hair was softly swaying in the wind, and though it was down, her hair was completely straight. Kara smiled, making a mental note of her beauty.

“Welcome to Rao’s!” Kara spoke happily, she motioned over to the small restaurant. 

_ It was quaint. The  _ _ building was surrounded with a porch. The back faced the beach which had a small deck for the customers to sit and eat by the sounds of the waves.  _ _ Kara gently took her hand and guided her inside.  _ _ The inside was all sorts of quaint. Worn booth seats that had hand stitched patches in  _ _ them. Tables that had many pictures in them from the customers who had eaten there before. On the walls were all sorts of vintage posters that connected in some way to Italy.  _ _ There was even a small homage to the  _ _ Big Boy wearing a Rao’s Homemade Italian Food apron. In the corner was a nice fireplace that was always running. A large  _ _ I _ _ talian man came from the back of the  _ _ kitchen. He wore a classic chef hat and had some sauce on his white apron. _

_ “It has been too long! Too long Miss Kara!”  _ _ The chef engulfed Kara in a hug, and Lena knew that Kara was definitely attached to this place. If not by the interactions with the Chef, and the way that she had introduced her to the place, it was by the way they had driven all the way out here _ _ just for dinner. The city had plenty of places to choose from, but Kara had brought them here. She smiled as the Chef welcomed her and led them to the back deck. She noticed with  _ _ curiosity that there was no one else in the place. Was it always this way? Or did Kara  _ _ make sure this place was empty for them? She was very interested at this. She put a mental pin in it as she sat in the seat that Kara held out for her. They were sitting closest to the  _ _ ocean; _ _ the soft waves were heard the best over here.  _ _ Lena looked over the menu, deciding on a scotch they carried. Kara ordered a sprite before smiling at her. Lena  _ _ felt it was easy to smile back. As the Chef left, they began talking as though they had been old friends for a while. They talked about their days first, breaking the ice a bit. _

Kara  broke the ice by telling her about Rao’s. She smiled at the memories that re-surfaced .

“I used to work here with my cousin. To date, I have yet to find a better tasting place that serves Italian” Kara smiled sheepishly. She watched L ena raise her eyebrow and then smile.

“Well then I can’t wait to try it!” Lena spoke softly. She smiled . The chef came back and handed them their drinks. After a moment, Kara decided to order one of the classier beers. They then agreed on some food to eat.  The chef left once more and then she found herself alone with Lena. They had moved from Kara’s past to Lena’s.  Lena was sharing a couple stories regarding pranks she had pulled. Kara almost choked on her sprite as she set it down. After a couple seconds of sputtering, she  composed herself. 

“Wait-wait! That was you?!” Kara asked  incredulously . She let out a barking laugh and then sh ook  her head. “You are an absolute  ledgend !!!”  She could see  15-year-old Lena Lut hor chugging a  Red Bull and hacking into the National Broadcasting System just to do that. What made it  Legendary was that she played any song that she could. It lasted over 3 hours and anyone who had a way to show what song they wanted heard it. It had started with rock, pop, and then went on to the electro music, and ended with  rap. She watched Lena chuckle smugly, and oh that nearly killed her. 

“I had to show her some good music somehow” Lena winked, which did in fact leave her brain short  circuiting for a moment. Lena sipped her scotch before leaning in. She spoke in a low voice that definitely wasn’t legal.

“That wasn’t half as bad as the Chicken Dance Phone Calls.” Kara’s mouth gaped open. A few  years ago, something had happened to where whenever someone placed a phone call, the chicken dance would play instead of the rings. 

“The plan only worked if mother’s phone would make that sound during outgoing and incoming phone calls. To minimize the guesswork of who would call her and who would not, I made everyone have such a ringtone. ”

Kara laughed again this time joined in with Lena. The two shook their heads at the memory.

“They actually used that on my sister, she wasn’t allowed to laugh when she heard that” Kara told her fondly. Then she just shook her head.

“Well done, very well done” Kara spoke with a smile. She watched Lena beam with what she’d assume as pride. Rao, Kara would be proud of that had she done it.  Then their food came, and their conversation went into a comfortable lull. 

As the s tars brightened, and the last hint of day left them, their plates were empty and the to-go boxes were stacked and ready for the taking. The bill was paid by Kara, even though Lena had temporarily protested. Kara found that she didn’t want this to end, not when the y had the stars above them, the ocean beside them, and she had company that she hadn’t expected to be so amazing. Giving a  mischievous smile, she leaned down and took her shoes off, leaving them by the table. She threaded Lena’s fingers with her own and lead the woman to the beach. 

_ Lena watched in surprise as Kara lead her to the beach. She quickly followed example and took off her shoes, delighting in the feeling of the wet sand beneath her feet. She smiled as Kara walked with her. It was clear to her that Kara didn’t want this date to end yet, and she didn’t blame her. Wh _ _ at did surprise her was the state of Kara’s hands. They were soft, save for a couple of callouses  _ _ on the palm of her hand that seemed to have come from gripping. She assumed it was from working out, and perhaps even holding a firearm. Though didn’t mind. The further the blonde lead her away from the resta _ _ urant, more stars could be seen. She watched as Kara lead her to the edge of the beach. Ther _ _ e they could see the best stars, and the whole sky was full of them. She was surprised to see Kara lay _ _ out a small blanket for them to sit on. She assumed it came from Rao’s as it had their logo on it. Together they sat down. _

_ “This is beautiful Kara” She whispered, and then when she looked into the blonde’s eyes, she felt her breath taken away. The ocean blue eyes sparkled brightly with the stars _ _ ; _ _ she could see them in her eyes. It was almost as if Kara had come from the very same stars and was  _ _ sim _ _ ply pretending to be human. She had to be because this woman was so perfect that she didn’t know what else to say. She watched as Kara lic _ _ ked her lips, their eyes meeting up moments later. Then Kara looked to the sky, and Lena felt the slight disappointment that they hadn’t kissed. While she wasn’t one to rush... wouldn’t it have been nice? Perhaps she would have to move in and kiss her first. _

_ “When I was growing up, I felt the closest to the stars.” Kara whispered. Lena rubbed her thumb over Kara’s hand soothingly. Kara had already discussed  _ _ her story of growing up and then being adopted by the age of 13.  _

_ “I felt that if I could see the stars, maybe somehow, I could see my parents too... I always thought that if we weren’t under the same s _ _ ky, that they had joined the stars and were looking down upon me.” Kara muttered softl _ _ y. _

_ “I’m sorry Kara” Lena muttered softly. She had lost her mother too young to be told of that story, but she did have the adventure story, the one where Andrea betrayed her. With a soft smile share _ _ d between her and the blonde, _ __ _ Kara _ _ pointed to a  _ _ constellation _ _ and named it. Before long Lena was joining her in naming them. _ _ At first, they named the constellations seriously and by their actual names, but it didn’t take them too long to name them by their whims. Lena had just pointed to a group of stars that were arranged in a way when Kara spoke softly. _

_ “It’s the big Rose” Kara grinned, and Lena saw it. She saw the rose in the sky. Of course, she also saw how beautiful it looked, and  _ _ then she watched Kara draw out another set.  _

_ “That, Kara, is the way to Neverland” They chuckled. Lena would have never thought such a date was possible. It was very shocking when the l _ _ ights behind them shut off completely, causing Kara to sit up slightly and look back towards Rao’s. Her eyebrows raised and her lips parted slightly. _

_ “It must be late! Rao’s is completely shut down for the night. They usually close at close to 11.” Kara spoke, which prompted Lena to look at her phone. She found that Kara was right, it was close to 11. She then  _ _ found dread that the date was going to close soon. She watched Kara stand up and hold her hand out for Lena to take. They walked back to the deck, blanket in _ _ one hand, Kara’s in the other.  _ _ Kara picked their shoes up and the takeout before walking with Lena to the car.  _

_ As they settled back into the car, she couldn’t help but think how amazing this date was. She still had an ounce of doubt in her mind, something that wouldn’t let her enjoy the night for what it was. Because at the end of the day, she was  _ _ still a Luthor. She was still the same woman who was at the head of the Technological revolution _ _. She was, as she had always been told, unlovable. She was untouchable in the worst way possible. Because no one wanted to touch her, or love her, or give her that chance. Even though Kara had given her the best date she had been on in years, she still doubted that the woman would _ _ call her back. Her walls were still slightly high. Kara didn’t know too much about her, the things that she had shared tonight, they were the typical things that she would share. The silence between the tw _ _ o of them was comfortable, and neither felt the urge to fill it on the way back to Lena’s. _

As Kara pulled back into Lena’s apartment complex, she looked for a place to park. Lena showed her to her personal underground garage. Suddenly, Kara’s borrowed car looked like a toy model co mpared to the beautiful classics that she found herself around. Lena  raised an eyebrow as Kara moved to park. She felt her cheeks flush with warmth. “I always walk my dates to the door. If it’s too much-”

“No” Lena spoke softly, stopping her from backtracking. Then with a smile she added, “I’d love that Kara. You can park there” Lena spoke, pointing her hand to the empty spot . Kara parked and then turned the car off. She smiled as she walked over, holding the door open for  Lena . Then they walked together to the Elevator.  Kara  blushed slightly as she realized that this was the end . It looked like Lena was realizing the same.  Kara had never felt so strongly about despising the end of dates before. Even if they were good, none had gone as well as tonight had. As  Lena pressed the button,  Kara felt some sense of dread. The CEO looked at her, her facial features softer than usual.

“Thank you for tonight Kara , it truly was amazing.” She heard Lena husk out, and it took Kara a moment to realize that the goodbye was happening here. Briefly she wondered if that was because this was her front door, or if she was just trying to say goodbye now before she went upstairs and  had alone time. Kara tried not to feel hurt about it, letting her smile talk for her.

“I had fun tonight Lena.” Kara spoke softly, “Thank you for letting me entertain you!” They both chuckled softly and then the elevator doors opened and a soft ding echoed in the garage. Lena stepped back into the elevator, and after a moment, raised her hand. Kara felt her heart soar as she took it, letting the brunette pull her in. They both blushed slightly and then Lena decided to speak. 

“Would you like to come in and have some wine?” She asked? Kara could only nod, watching as the number of floors climbed high. Soon Kara watched as the elevators opened, and her mouth gaped slightly at the penthouse.  Lena’s penthouse looked absolutely beautiful, not to mention huge. Lena lead her into the penthouse with a small smile. Kara grinned back.

“Make yourself at home, do you prefer red or white?” Lena asked. Kara called back white and went to sit on the couch. It wasn’t as comfy as hers, but she suspected that it was only because not too many people sat on it.  As Lena walked back with two glasses of wine, she could hear some soft music playing in the background. She took one of the glasses  gratefully and lightly tapped Lena’s glass before sipping some.  Kara’s eyes looked over the book titles, and before long they began discussing just exactly why it took Voldemo rt so long to attack Harry. Kara had a theory that he wanted to make sure that Harry was a good student. Lena shook her head,

“No, that wouldn’t matter to the big bad. Maybe it was his energy levels.”

“ Ohhhh , that would make sense, I mean he doesn’t even get a body until the 4 th year, and by that time we see him focusing on his followers in years 5 and 6. It’s only in the last year that he  starts attacking full time.” Kara mused, her chin on the edge of the wine glass. The more she thought of it, the more it made sense. 

“Exactly. I do have to say though,  I think that even without the guise of getting his energy back, Voldemort was smarter than he let on. Sure, he underestimated the human emotion of Love, having never understood it, but he sure knew how to plan  the long run. ” Lena smiled, playing with the stem of her own wine glass.  Kara smiled at her and then tilted her head.

“I really have been enjoying this night with you.  Though I have to ask, why me?  I'm sure you have thousands of people out there who would love to go out with you.” Lena softly put her hand on Kara’s thigh and then lightly pushed off.

“Truth is, I said yes tonight with you because you surprise me in the best ways.  You are, without a doubt, the kindest person I have met in a while. Most people wouldn’t touch a Luthor with a ten-foot pole.” Lena  admitted and bit her lip. Kara  watched her in awe. She felt a twinge of empathy, and then some joy. Kara wanted to spend more time with Lena, and though it wasn’t fair that the rest of the world wouldn’t give her a chance , Kara  would . She watched as Lena stifled a yawn and then she stood, taking Lena’s glass for her. 

“You are exhausted, I’ll get out of your hair.” Kara spoke softly and walked into the kitchen. She put the glasses in the sink and met the CEO at the door.  Lena opened the door gently.  Kara walked outside and Lena saw her to the  door.

“W-” Kara paused, one foot at the door.  She looked at Lena, hope swelling in  her heart.

“Would it be o-okay if I call you?” She asked softly. She searched Lena’s eyes  watching the woman .

_ Lena felt her chest rise and fall rapidly. She could feel the fear like ice in her veins.  _ _ Kara wanted to spend more time with her? She could feel her body nod, though the  _ _ conscious _ _ decision had not yet been made. Though, she saw that smile again and oh how the world shined brighter _ _ for it. She  _ _ wondered, briefly, if happiness was such a bad thing after all. With a final goodnight, Lena shut the door behind her.  _ _ It was her doubt in wondering if Kara would  _ _ actually call _ _ paired with the unexpected disappointment that had her reaching for the phone.  _

_ She dialed and heard the groggy voice answer, bless her.  _

_ “Sam it went amazing.” _

_ “ _ _ That's _ _ good, right?” Sam asked, clearing her throat to make her voice sound  _ _ steadier _ _. _

_ “I don’t know” _

_ “Well I think it is, which means that it is. It also means that Ruby and I will be over in the morning at 11. You better sleep in though Lee” Lena laughed softly at the threat which seemed to lose its  _ _ sincerity once punctured with a yawn. Though she decided that sleep would do her well. She bade her friend goodnight before heading to bed herself.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is some fluff- hopefully! And then we go back to present day or Future Lena! Stick with me here, its a goodie. For those who are interested but aren't following my tumblr, go there! I post a lot of snippets that will come up in the stories!
> 
> https://theauthorwhinter.tumblr.com/post/618664402612273152/so-i-write-my-stories-with-scenes-from-way-down-in


	4. Wise Men Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot is picking up! Some fluff in between.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boo! Yeah I had such a hard time with the chapter 3 that chapter 4 came so naturally! Well mostly. Anyway! So we are picking up a few months from their first date. Kara is a lovely police officer along with some of the super-friends! Lena has some other projects to consider and the Kryptonite exits the story for now. First up though, a sneak peak to future Lena.

_Lena_ _took a deep breath as she wiped her forehead_ _with the back of her hand_ _. She looked around at the piles of boxes. She had been unpacking all day and the house was in shambles because of it._ _The ground was a mix of carpet, wood floors, tiles, and newspapers. She had unpacked most of_ **_her_ ** _stuff._ _She looked to where Alex_ _had just set down a box._ _Their eyes met before flitting away. Though neither had_ _made any official vocal conversation, they had been in tune with what to do. The day had been extremely efficient, and other than the boxes that were tucked into each corner of the house labeled Kara_ _, most of her stuff had been unpacked. She looked at the house, and wondered, not for the first time,_ _if their choice was right. If buying this house was the best idea._ _The apartment that her and her_ _Fiancé_ _lived in currently felt like home. This felt like a glorified space. They had made the choice of a house for the opportunity_ _to have room for a family should they desire. They also wanted something further away from the city, so that they could breathe easier. Not that it really mattered anymore. Lena wiped away the tear_ _, refusing to stay still long enough for more to join the one. She continued to put away movies in the entertainment stand. Despite Kara’s boxes_ _being set aside, her presence still bled into every single room in one way or another. The silverware had a couple of utensils in each category that were dented by her strong grip. Some of the more col_ _orful mugs in the cabinet were Kara’s- her favorite was the pride one._ _‘_ _Don't_ _Make Me Use My Top Voice’ which Lena had squirmed about at first. Lena had put away more movies than she had ever owned in her entire life_ _, because what person in their right mind wouldn’t own movies such as “You’ve Got Mail” starring Tom Hanks and the_ _delectable_ _beauty Meg Ryan_ _. Or the stand alone Classic that had everyone singing in some form as Annie gets adopted by Daddy Warbucks. The stairway housed her own personal art_ _gallery_ _of Kara’s paintings._ _She had even hung the little description cards that came with each._ _Even in the room that doubled as her library, where all her books were, there had been small handwritten notes from Kara as she made her way through each one. In their bedroom_ _, Kara’s pillow was dutifully placed on the right side, and the bathroom still housed the fruity scents that she loved so much._ _Once the sun began to set, they pushed the entertainment stand against the wall. A small victory high five was shared once the TV began to work._ _Lena cooked them a salmon and handed the agent her scotch. They ate dinner outside, relishing in the golden light from the sunset and the gentle crash of the waves._ _As they moved back inside to watch some TV, Lena remarked how much her life had changed. How the new normal was for Alex to come over once a week to_ _have dinner with her and watch some TV. A few months ago, it had been game night, but the group had been too busy as of late and Lena found she didn’t blame them. Years ago, it had just been her every n_ _ight and day. She had been all alone at one time or another, but now a days she_ _wasn’t used to it. Now more than ever, she was grateful for Alex coming over._

_“I bet you it’s the boyfriend” Alex muttered as a yawn escaped._

_“$100 on the ex”_

_“It’s on then,” The two continued watching their Snapped Marathon. Something that neither of them wanted to_ _watch but_ _didn’t understand why they kept at it._ _In the back of her head she could hear Kara’s half-hearted protest._

_‘Do we have to do this every time guys? Why can’t we just watch these without bets?’_

_From the small smile on Alex’s face, she had heard it too._ _Both_ _had winced when the T_ _V_ _announced it had been the brother. Alex politely_ _turned off the TV and let the silence_ _fill them. A few moments passed before_ _Lena decided to speak._

_“The Guest room is ready,”_

_“Thank you, Lena I should be good to drive back though.”_

_“Nonsense Alex. National city is an hour drive away. You’ve had a few glasses of scotch with me, and you are utterly e_ _xhausted. Just take the room” Lena persisted softly, lacking every emotion save for empathy. She watched as Alex nodded. Then the two began to walk around the house, locking ev_ _ery window and every door._ _Lena had been filling things more often lately. Filling silences, boxes, houses, normal routines, and anything that seemed empty. She had_ _focused so hard on filling things that she had pushed away the emptiness of her heart. As they turned off all the lights and headed upstairs, Lena found herself pausing at the last painting._ _It had been a stormy day at Rao’s when Kara had called Lena begging her to bring her art supplies. Though the weather suggested it was a bad day, it had been the best for her and Kara. The blonde had painted again, and they had re-created their first_ _date, ending with the moon high over the sky._

_Upstairs they locked up each room, making sure that it was properly secure. As Lena reached the last room, she heard the shower turn on in the bathroom. She saw that the door which usually was shut tight had been a little bit open. With a_ _shaky hand, she pressed in. A wave of smells washed over Lena, and she could tell it was Kara’s scent._ _As she pushed away the ache, she focused on how the room looked. The paints were slightly out of line, and some had been knocked over from their pristine places. A canvas was in the middle of the room, standing on an easel which housed her paint brushes. The canvas splattered with blue and red paint._ _At least, so she hoped. There were boxes everywhere which were holding down the plastic tarp._ _The window in the room was shut tight with a board across it. Yellow tape was still sticking out by the edges and seemed to sway in the light breeze. Lena couldn’t stop staring at the window, staring at the tiny pieces of the past_ _which affirmed that it had happened. She felt as though the world was suffocating her. The air felt stiff and as she slid down the wall to a sitting position, she wondered if there was hope that her body would let her suffocate_ _. Maybe she could find her way back to Kara, or maybe she would wake up again..._

_Lena covered her mouth with her fingers as she let out a chocked sob. Damn the door for being open and her body coming in. Damn the windows, damn the memories. Damn it all. She felt grief pouring into the hollow of her heart_ _. With all her broken heart (which refused to beat correctly) and every painful breath she took, she wanted to wake up from her nightmares_ _. She wanted to cry, to jump, to feel something again._

_See the night never fills anything. In all honesty, it traps Lena to her bed and forces her to feel the emptiness. It makes sure she knows the harsh truth_ _and confines her to memories in the shapes of dreams. Lena reached out and grabbed a sketchbook that was on_ _a small box_ _. It was her travel one, Lena remembered. She clutched it close to her chest, bringing her knees up to trap it between them. She couldn’t care about the smudges from the_ _charcoal. As she let out a few more sobs, she felt Alex come up and sit next to her. The woman’s hair was slightly damp, but that didn’t matter to Lena anymore. Instead they grieved together, drawin_ _g on the strength of_ _each other_ _until the tears were dried, the sobs to a mere hiccup, and the two were shaking due to cold._

_“_ _Let's_ _get you into a warm bed._ _Kara may be... you know, but she’d still find a way to kill me if you get Hypothermia.” Alex spoke softly, though her voice was as broken as hers._ _Lena nodded mutely. She stood up and went to set the sketchbook down on the box it had come from._ _She gasped when she saw the handwriting._

_‘Lena. Love Kara’_

_Lena held her breath as she bent down to pick it up._ _Then the two of them walked to Lena’s bed. She clutched the box with white knuckles, she didn’t want to let it go. She couldn’t if she tried._

Kara smirked at the way Lena was looking at her. She had successfully made the CEO blush and it felt great. They had been doing weekly lunches together since their first date. It didn’t pressure them into anything, though Kara surmised, it wouldn’t be too horrible if they became a thing. Kara picked off a piece of her doughnut and stuck it in her mouth. She watched as Lena’s eyes followed her closely, as if daring her to continue. She just had to laugh. 

“So!” Kara spoke with a grin “Does this mean that I am now canonically called Daddy?” She dodged the pen thrown her way and dropped the subject. Instead she stood up and looked at the most recent file on her desk. A personal report of Lena’s experiments was sitting on the edge. She looked at the tile and tilted her head. She thought to herself how much she would love to see Lena’s personal lab. She thought it would be cool to also try to have some fun with a couple of experiments. 

“I mean, sure” Lena muttered as Kara realized with wide eyes that she had said her thoughts aloud. She brightened visibly. “Yeah?!” Kara felt like a giddy child at the thought of being able to explore something fun with Lena. Her fingers practically itched at the prospect of diving back into the labs like she had growing up with her family. When Lena nodded, she felt her day brighten for the best. Then she felt her phone ring, and she fished it out of her pants. A soft sigh left her lips as she read through the email. 

“Unfortunately, not today, Captain Grant needs me to come in to do some paperwork.” Kara spoke with a frown. She had been working under Cat for a while. As a fresh cop, she had her choices, working in the jail or being the most basic beat cop. While she had thought working in the jail would be fine, she didn’t want to risk any connection to Lex. She had chosen to go to Cat’s team. With an apologetic smile, she bade farewell to Lena and headed to her motorcycle. As she pulled into her precinct, she felt that there was something in the air. It was heavy with something. As she walked into the locker room, she noticed a few empty lockers from the early shift. Tilting her head, she could feel the mystery taunting her. Quickly, Kara changed to her uniform and walked into the board room. Cat watched her come in and then called the whole department into a meeting. 

“You may remember Leslie Williams.” Cat spoke as she pointed to the large blowup of the picture that was next to her. Kara started taking notes diligently, making sure she understood every word. 

“She was on the early shift or the graveyard shift, depending on which day she worked. She has been missing since the homicide of her partner. Her partner, Roy, was severely electrocuted by her last night. I need everyone in their cop cars looking for her. Lance!” Sara’s head snapped up, waiting for Cat’s order. “Work with the outreach, see if we can’t have your father’s department join us. She is armed and dangerous.” Cat spoke, her eyes returning to sweep everyone. Then she put her hands on her hips, her way of dismissing the group. Kara looked across the way to Maggie. She watched as her partner shook her keys with a wink before heading out. Maggie tossed Kara the keys and as they settled in, she pulled up William’s picture. They rolled out of the garage in their hidden car and took to patrolling the streets. 

“Is it just me or did Cat’s briefing seem pretty... brief?” Kara asked, slowing to turn right. 

“It was. But you know as well as I that it will be a long debrief.” Maggie spoke as she looked over the information. Kara shook her head with an inward sigh. She then caught sight of Maggie’s face. 

“You just came from Lena’s” She remarked. 

“Mhmmm, that is correct.” 

“Did you guys do the dew?” 

“Maggie! No, we did not! We are not even at that part yet; we aren’t even a WE yet!” Kara exclaimed, watching as Maggie started laughing. 

“Relax little Danvers. You were also at her work! I wouldn’t expect anything happening there in a million years. Unless you take this as a challenge and end up doing it there.” Kara rolled her eyes and shook her head. She stopped at a red light, and as she did, she saw a run-down shop that had some light flickering through. She nodded to the light and Maggie radioed it in. They made sure they had clearance from dispatch before parking and walking in. Tentatively, they swung their flashlights around. Together they cleared the building, save for the recording studio in the back. Kara took a deep breath as she opened the door. She shined her flashlight around and saw something white in the chair. She looked around, noting the sparking wires all around. 

“Maggie, radio this in.” She spoke softly, the stench in the air telling them both exactly what was happening. She turned around to look at Sawyer and they shared a frown. Maggie walked back out to radio the scene in and Kara made sure that she didn’t disturb any other evidence. Together they were able to preserve the scene until their forensic team got there. It was only after the whole place had been bagged and the photos had been properly taken that they saw the deceased body. Kara felt the urge to duck into the back alley and do what many drunks did, puke and pass out. She swallowed it down and surveyed the body. With a soft groan, she turned away. It had been one of the first people who had been freed off a technicality that Williams had assisted in. There were some burn marks everywhere, and a name carved into the body. If Leslie was doing this, then she was going all out. She had given herself the colorful moniker. Livewire. 

It was getting to be dark when the two were able to go. Kara stepped outside, ignoring the news van as she headed to the car. When she sat down in the driver’s seat, she let the silence come in. She looked at Maggie, whose face was just as white, and then kept driving. They stopped at Sawyer’s house so that they could change and refresh before quickly continuing their search. This time, Maggie drove while Kara typed up her report. She sent it off to Cat with little flourish before helping to look out. By the time their shift was supposedly over, they had no luck in the Williams search. With a yawn, Kara looked at the numbers on the clock. It read 3 in the morning. She rubbed her eyes and promised herself to an energy drink or a sugary coffee when they got back. Kara felt her phone buzz as they drove towards the precinct. Kara answered without checking her ID. 

“Kara,” a cold voice spoke with a sneer. Kara frowned and looked at the phone. She didn’t recognize the number. “Who is this?” Kara asked, having Maggie pull over so that she could record the whole thing. 

“I have to say I am disappointed in you. Always kissing up to Cat, and then coming and trying to kiss up to the most beautiful CEO in our area. Shame.” Kara tensed, hearing the shrill laugh. 

“Oh, don’t worry Danvers! I’m not about to go get your girl, no, see that would be irresponsible. I have nothing to gain by going after her. But I want Cat. I want to see her bending down on her knees. I’m sure you saw what I did to the last boy. I was walking home from that and could you imagine my shock in seeing Cat’s son walking alone??” Williams asked, and Kara looked to Maggie. She was recording and calling Cat at the same time. Thank Rao for their similar minded ideas. She tried to keep Leslie talking, hoping that they would be able to do something. 

“I Imagine that he is who you have at the moment.” Kara surmised, “If I get Cat to come, you are going to have to give her something though or give me something to give to her.” Kara spoke. 

“I’m giving you this. Tell Cat Grant that she needs to get her affairs in order and come see me where it all began. If she wants her son back, and wants him to live, she will come alone. If I see anyone else around when I bring the boy, he will be electrocuted and so will she. You have your marching orders, now go!” Leslie spoke before hanging up on Kara. Maggie flipped on the sirens and sped back to precinct. So much for that coffee. 

Cat sat in her office, hands on her forehead, looking more tired than shocked. Kara almost felt bad for her. Screw it. She did feel bad for Cat. Even if she was the strictest boss that Kara had ever known. Kara folded her arms as Maggie finished the recording. They watched as Cat took a deep breath and stand up. She looked at between the two and Kara shifted slightly. 

“Sawyer go get a SWAT team for me. Kierah stay.” Maggie left without another second to spare, shutting the door behind. Kara handed Cat her phone. Motioning for them to sit down, Cat pulled out the phone recording equipment. She called Winn in and the three of them worked to set up a tracer on the call. Once Winn gave their boss the thumbs up, Cat dialed the number. After one ring, it picked up. 

“Cat I presume.” Came the voice of Leslie. 

“Indeed. Listen Leslie. You need to turn yourself in, we can get you a good deal if you surrender now. No one needs to get hurt.” 

“Except me, right? If I turn myself in, I go to jail for life, or I end up dead. If that are my only two outcomes for surrender, I might as well go out with a bang!” Leslie spoke with a laugh. 

“Oh, and it’s Livewire now. Or did you not get my little gift to you?” Leslie asked. Kara felt the chair beneath her bend as she gripped the sides. She listened with her eyes shut so that she didn’t lose control of her anger. Truth was she never liked Leslie. Now she was just downright furious. No one should take the law into their own hands, no one. When she opened her eyes, she saw Cat seething. Still her voice came out even, and if she dared to say, it sounded like she was bored. 

“Alright listen, if I come to meet you, I need someone to take care of Carter while we hash this out. I'll listen to what you need to say, but only if I get to bring someone to take my son away.” Cat spoke cautiously. 

“Then I choose who you bring. Bring Kara.” Leslie spoke harshly before hanging up. The silence spilled into the room and finally, Winn handed Kara the address. Maggie knocked and assured Cat that SWAT would be ready to move. Then they were moving, Cat walked out to Kara’s car and they got in. As they drove to the sight, Cat stayed silent, Kara followed her lead. 

“Whatever she says Kierah, make sure my son stays safe. If you have a chance to catch her, you give my son to SWAT and take that chance. I want this to be done today.” 

“Understood Captain Grant.” She spoke to Cat. They drove in silence and before too long they were there. As Kara parked, Cat got out and walked confidently to the middle of the street. She looked around, making sure that everything was in place before noticing the blocked off cones three blocks away on each side. She then turned her head to the shop. Kara watched from behind her car as Leslie walked out holding Carter in her hands. After a few moments, Cat waved Kara over to take her son. Kara had him sit in the passenger seat of the cruiser before watching Leslie. She saw the taser move quick and lifted her firearm. She heard a single shot placed and watched as Leslie went down. Quickly Kara holstered her firearm and traded Cat her son for Williams. Cuffing her tightly, she saw that the wound was a graze. 

She looked over to Cat, relieved to see her and her son were just fine. The SWAT team offered to take them back and Kara took Leslie to the jail. She booked her and then left for the office. That coffee sounded amazing right about now. As she pulled up, she could see the sky starting to lighten up. She walked in and sat down at her desk, looking at the reports she had to finish up. She pulled out her bag of gummy worms and got to work. She typed away on the keyboard feverously, pausing only to put a new worm in her mouth. Kara made sure that every detail was properly reported, checking her work twice before printing it out. She made handwritten copies in triplicate before submitting one to forensics, one to their database, and one to Cat Grant. She kept the last copy for her personal files. 

As Kara sat back down, she noticed that the other officers were starting to head home. She said her goodbyes to her co-workers leaving before continuing to file her reports. She had a few to do from the past couple days. It took a few bags of gummy worms to get her through, but when bag number three was thrown in the trash, she could happily declare that she was done. 

She stood up and stretched before walking to Snapper’s office. She knocked on the door and let him know that she was clocking out. He grunted in acknowledgement and then she left. As she was changing out, she planned out her time off. She had about 5 hours left until her next shift, so a quick sleep, a shower for sure, and pot stickers. That was her plan. 

As Kara walked upstairs to her apartment, she shuffled through her keys. She looked up to find a bag of takeout perched at her door. She crouched and looked at the note. 

“You’ll have to eat something healthy one day, but for now, here is this. ~L” Her heart warmed slightly, and she looked in, seeing that it was in fact the pot stickers she craved. Kara brought the food in and sent a text off to Lena. 

**Kara: You are the best Lena. Thank you**

**Lena: You’re welcome, but what did I do dear?**

**Kara: You brought me food!**

Kara put the pot stickers on the plate and put them in the microwave. She grabbed her phone as she typed in the numbers. 

**Lena: If I did that, you would be claiming I spoil you. It’s not from me.**

Kara took out the plate and sniffed it softly. She then gently prodded the food. She heard the phone ring. 

“Hello?” Kara asked, holding up the phone to her ear. 

“Oh, thank god,” Lena breathed through the phone. Kara smiled at her worry and felt her heart soar at the thought that Lena cared that much. 

“Good thing I asked, I was about to put these in the microwave.” Kara spoke, she set them on the counter, opting to dissect them carefully later. They were most likely laced with a type of poison. She thought about the L, it was from Leslie, she had no doubt. 

“Good thing you are careful. How was work darling?” Lena asked. Kara could her a beeping of a sort. Lena softly cursed in Irish before it was shut off. 

“Hectic, but it sounds like you have something crazier going on at the moment.” Kara placed her order through Doordash and headed to the bathroom. She put the phone on speaker as she started to undress. 

“Oh no, I am in the lab, so there’s nothing crazy. I just had to readjust the spinner.” Lena spoke and Kara smiled, imagining her in her lab. She hummed before hearing Lena curse again. 

“I am sorry my darling, but it looks like crazy is just starting. I will talk to you later?” She asked and Kara gave her an affirmative. She smiled as Lena hung up, happy that they were somewhat friends, and somewhat more. Though neither had made any attempts to label it, or move beyond pet names, they knew the other cared about them. That was enough. For now, at least. Until things calmed down. 

Kara stepped into the shower and let the day slip off her. With a relaxing sigh, she let her muscles un-tense. Kara felt utterly relaxed and sleepy as she stepped out and toweled off. As she got on her sweats and sleep shirt, she heard a knock on the door. She grabbed cash for a tip and headed to the door. After getting her food, she locked the door behind her and went to the couch, putting on a Rom-Com while she ate. It was a good way to relax. Then she headed for her bed, she set an alarm for 3 hours later and then drifted to sleep. 

_Lena_ _had hung up and looked at the fabric. Ever since she had watched Kara’s police graduation, she felt that the police uniforms were due for an upgrade. She had started a new project regarding Kevlar_ _uniforms. Lena watched as she sent the new outfit through the_ _test chamber. With a little chuckle, she was reminded of Edna. The bullets came first, no holes which was good. They fell flat on the ground. She watched as it was exposed to flame, noticing how it reacted._ _It didn’t shrivel up or catch fire. She had hope._ _Then she watched as it was exposed to freezing temperatures. She supposed it was like Edna, and she hoped that the girl was proud. The tests finished up with a couple weird one_ _s before she pulled out it out. She looked at the uniform seeing that the uniform itself was not dented, scratched, or malformed in any way. Lena took the uniform off and looked at the human like stand that it was on._ _There were some bruise areas from the bullets, and she could see where some of the plastic melted from the heat, and its re-hardened shape as the body had been frozen. All in_ _all,_ _it would work. The only places that it would be weak was around the wrists and neck. Of course_ _,_ _the officers would be utilizing the other par_ _ts of their previous uniform to help with that. They would_ _have on their standard bullet proof shirt, their cargo pants, and their shoes. They would still have their duty belt_ _s. Lena hoped to continue improving their gear so that they could be much_ _safer. She decided that if she dared, she could have_ _Kara test it out. With a sigh, she went back to the drawing board. How did Edna do this?_

_Lena shook her head with a growl. She didn’t know, and she really didn’t like not knowing. After a few moments, she looked up and saw the time. With a sigh, she walked out of her lab and up to the_ _conference room. There sat_ _Agent Lane for her weekly check in. With a sigh she sat down and watched the clips that were recorded. They went over Lex’s actions, and she watched the feed closely. She watched as he finished a second_ _book in as many weeks. With a frown she noticed that the chess pieces hadn’t moved. They were still in the middle of_ _the game. They had been for weeks. Lena had memorized the position of them. Never would Lex play the same way each day. Not even if he was teaching another. Lena_ _watched as they switched to the live feed. She saw the art Lex was scratching onto the wall behind him, and the chess pieces were different. She felt her heart_ _hammer but_ _decided that it had just been the difference of time, and nothing was wrong. She begged to whatever was out there and listening_ _that Lex would just stay in his cell. She even knocked on wood._

_“All looks pretty normal Ms. Luthor.” Agent Lane spoke._

_“Yes, it does.” Lena agreed softly._

_“Perhaps we should discuss the ending of this, Lex has no ties to his criminal kingdom in there. He can’t contact anyone. Everyone who interacts with him is cleared to do so. He has no way to reach the outside world, his internet_ _privileges_ _permanently revoked. He doesn’t speak to the other inmates.” Lane was trying to convince her that it was normal. Lena wasn’t having any of it. She let out a small sigh._

_“Agent Lane. Until I have proof that what you are saying_ _I cannot take any risks. My brother is a smart man, and even that is considered an insult. His intelligence allows him to plan for years and work it through with the exact possibilities accounted for. So, I expect you_ _here next week for a detailed report. Could we also get another camera on him? From the other way. I don’t know what is going on behind the camera, but I’d like to see that.” Lena looked at the game intensely. She wanted to see the other side. If it hadn’t moved by next week,_ _she wanted to know the stance of the white. She shook agent Lane’s hand and then_ _escorted her back to the lobby. With a pointed glare at the closed elevator doors, she growled._

_“Make sure we have an appointment with Agent Lane next week. I refuse to believe that Lex is rolling over like a good dog.” Jess nodded and got to work. Then Lena sighed. She looked at her calendar. She had to prepare for her evening meeting_ _with Queen and Merlyn. It was their last meeting. Project Harun-El had been split up properly. Queen’s side was taking care of the_ _high pain tolerance serum. Merlyn_ _oversaw_ _what he called- rebirth- process. Lena was taking care of the last bit of the formula, which would cure any poison injected in the body. Lena’s idea was to offer this to all of Lex’s Kryptonite survivors. Hopeful_ _ly to give them a better life that they could control. She grabbed the file and headed to the conference room. Merlyn gave her a smile and Queen shook her hand. They sat down and began their work on the last bits. The legal bits._

_By the time the evening came, Lena’s head was pounding. She groaned as she left the conference room to head to her office. They had finally worked out the legality overlap and signed all the papers needed for the project merger to con_ _tinue. Lena sent the paperwork to her HR department and then sat down at her desk. She sent Jess home without much argument from the secretary. She knew that Kara was_ _working that night, and though she would never admit it, she missed the blonde. Since their first date, she had been_ _pleasantly_ _surprised that every couple of days they would meet up for lunch or a quick dinner._ _Lena hoped that she could surprise Kara soon. She found that she wanted to take another step, go on another date. Maybe it was on her to make that move, she didn’t know nor care. As she turned off the light, she heard a_ _knock on_ _the door._

_“Lena Luthor. NCPD” She heard the muffled voice say. It was deeper, though it didn’t sound authentically deep. She turned the light back on, tucking away her scotch. She schooled her face into one of indifference._

_“You may enter.” She spoke with a slightly cold voice. Though she was working on something for the police department, she didn’t need friendly visits from them. As the door opened, her exterior_ _melted. She saw the blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. She saw the_ _stifled_ _giggle and the attempt to keep a straight face._ _From the way that Kara was acting, she could tell that she was trying to pretend that this was an official visit, and that they didn’t know each other well. Giving a subtle nod to let Kara know she was in on it and to continue,_ _Lena tried her best to act like she had before, as a Luthor who_ _didn’t know this beautiful woman._

_“How can I help you officer?” She drawled out, watching with a smirk as Kara’s neck muscles strained. She saw the light coloring of Kara’s cheeks and bit back a smirk. She looked at the officer through her lashes,_ _hoping that she could tease the blonde till she lost th_ _is_ _new, exciting_ _game._

_“I was in the neighborhood when I noticed that there was some unusual activity.” Kara continued, she strutted around the office as though making sure she was alone._ _Lena knew she was_ _._ _She watched Kara look around and then relax with satisfaction._ _Lena stood up and walked to the f_ _ront of her desk, she leaned against it and tilted her head._

_“Could you describe this unusual activity? I may be able to help you find what it is you’re looking for.” Lena looked at the woman who seemed to blush darker. She wondered if the game was doing the same things to_ _the blonde as it was to her. She bit her lip in thought._

_“A thief has been running rampant. They have stolen some pretty_ _important things.” Kara spoke, now looking directly into her eyes._ _The blonde stood directly in front of her, and she could feel the charged air._

_“Oh? What did they steal?” Lena asked, playing with her hands as she matched Kara’s gaze._

_“For starters, a couple of sleep shirts, a few nights, most of this officer’s free time.” Kara spoke, though it was softer now. She knew that each of these were true and couldn’t stop her cheeks from feeling warm._ _The sleep shirts from those couple of game nights she had stayed too late. The nights, well movie nights, where they would watch until midnight and fall asleep on the couch. The free time? Lena would be all too giddy to_ _plead guilty to that._

_“Sounds like a hardened criminal to me.”_

_“The worst” Kara whispered with a smirk._

_“And your trail led you here?” Lena asked, Kara nodded. She bit her lip. Lena felt her heart surge lightly and she cleared her throat._

_“I haven’t seen this supposed_ _thief;_ _however,_ _I do have another place we could check.” Lena spoke, leading the officer to where her hidden apartment was. She opened the door to the closet and_ _walked in the front door of the apartment. She watched as Kara’s eyes grew wide. The game was over in a second as her mouth propped open._

_“Holy... This is still bigger than my apartment!” Kara exclaimed as she looked around. Lena chuckled and then shook her head._

_“How long do you have for lunch?”_

_“About an hour, more like 45 now though.” Kara answered as she returned her attention to her._

_“How about an impromptu dinner date?” Lena asked in a rushed tone. She watched as surprise washed over the blonde’s face. Her eyebrows raised, and her mouth opened and shut like a fish._ _Then Kara nodded and Lena felt herself relax. They walked over to the counter, and Kara looked in the fridge. Lena had been spending more time in her office as of_ _late and_ _kept her work apartment more stocked._ _She reached around Kara and grabbed some_ _vegetables_ _to wash off while Kara set her lunch sack on the counter._

_“I heard you arrested Leslie early this morning,” Lena started as she chopped the carrots thin._

_“Yeah, but it all seemed too easy. She gave up the child for nothing and didn’t resist her capture.” Kara muttered with a slight frown. Lena reached over and gave the blonde a comforting squeeze_ _by her arm. She returned to her salad, tossing the carrots in there before washing off the red onions._

_“_ _I would say take it for what it is, except we both know that I can’t do that.” They had many_ _late-night_ _discussions on how Lena would never leave things be unless completely satisfie_ _d. She looked up to see Kara deep in thought. She fixed her salad and allowed time for Kara to think. She looked at Lena,_

_“Do you think we could watch the_ _footage?_ _It looks weird in my mind, and I know something isn_ _’_ _t_ _right_ _._ _..” Kara asked her softly. Lena could see the blonde’s internal struggle and then wi_ _th a bite of salad_ _, she gave a reluctant nod._ _Kara grabbed her computer from her bag, refusing to leave it in the car. She pulled up the footage and Lena watched with interest._

_She saw how Leslie held Carter. She watched as the woman chatted with Cat. After a few moments, Lena tilted her head_ _. Kara had escorted Carter to safety. She saw how Cat and Leslie were standing. Leslie seemed to be reaching up to cup her cheek. There was a bittersweet smile on Leslie’s face, and Cat seemed to ha_ _ve a tear on her cheek. Though neither moved._

_“Kara this looks like-”_

_Leslie was jerked to the side by the bullet wound, and though it didn’t show, Lena felt_ _lightheaded_ _at the thought. She watched as Kara ran in, cuffs in hand. She looked over at Kara_ _._

_“Could you hear them?”_

_“No, it was like my heart was all I could hear. I could only hear them once I got close.”_

_“So, Carter, Cat, and Leslie are the only ones who knew what was being said.” Lena formed her question in a statement. She knew how the law worked well enough._ _Though she bit her tongue._

_“Cat was wearing a wire, but I don’t know if that came through clear enough.” Kara answered and Lena nodded._

_“It’s worth keeping a watchful eye over_ _, but Kara, please be careful” Lena urged. She watched Kara’s reluctant nod. They finished their dinner talking about Lena’s latest discovery with the_ _police_ _-s_ _uits. Kara was intrigued, and sh_ _e was excited. Lena smiled, feeling happy that someone knew what she w_ _as_ _talking about. Though she had her employees that understood her, which included her best friend Sam, Lena couldn’t help but feel refreshed that she had someone like Kara to bounce ideas_ _off of_ _._

_Their dinner ended when Kara’s radio called for every officer to head to_ _LordTech_ _. Kara huffed, and Lena knew her disappointment was equally matched. With a pained smile she bade the blonde goodbye._ _Opting to head home and get some well needed rest._

Kara headed to where she needed to go. Her squad car sat two blocks away and she was walking silently up to the building. She could see the perimeter being set up and with a grunt, she headed towards where Snapper stood. He caught her sight and then ushered her to the side entry team. They quickly began to aid with the search of the building. Kara cleared her room, which was an office with a wide view. She watched as the others cleared the hall around her, and their team leader radioed it in. As soon as their floor was cleared, she was left to wonder about Lena. 

It seemed that with each passing moment together they grew closer. And their dinner earlier, what had Lena called it? A dinner date? Kara’s brow furrowed slightly. Was Lena hinting that she wanted more? Was Kara ready for that? She didn’t know, but she could imagine what it was like to- well they had been on a date before... but was this Lena’s way of saying she wanted to be more than friends? Rao, she hoped so. 

“Kara!” Maggie yelled, and Kara looked up just in time to see a large figure racing towards her. She braced herself from impact, knowing that there wasn’t time to do anything else. Her breath left in an **oof** and her muscles groaned in protest as her body was thrown to the ground. She felt the figure trying to scramble off her, and all that her brain could tell her to do was hold on, even as they brought their elbow down. She gripped the body tightly, waiting for someone to help her. She moved her head to the side, dodging the elbow blows as much as possible. With a groan she felt the bone connect with her face. Then three officers were around, and everyone was coaxing her to let go. 

“We’ve got him” Maggie spoke as she held the arms back. 

“Kara let go so we can process him” Kate spoke. 

“Kara” She heard one of the older police and slowly she flattened her palms. Then she made her arms unwrap, despite their screams to hold on. It took a few moments, but finally they could all stand up. Maggie walked the perp to her cruiser, and a detective assisted in questioning. Kara was asked to report to the on-site meds, to make sure that she was mostly alright. She was, and the med joked with her. 

“You’re made of steel Kara; you are just fine. Save for the split lip and the bruises.” 

“Oh good” 

“I would still ask for a day to let them heal though; you don’t want to aggravate it any further.” The med warned, which Kara nodded. She suspected that he had already told Snapper, which meant that she would have the next day off. As she walked back, Snapper lowered his glasses. 

“Ponytail. Finish your shift doing reports. Then take a day.” He ordered. Kara gave him a thumbs up. She walked back to her cruiser. She felt her phone go off as she sat in her seat. 

**Alex: Just heard about the Lord-Tech incident. Are you good?**

**Kara:** **Yeah,** **all good!** **Let's** **do dinner tomorrow.**

**Alex: Sounds good, I’ll bring the scotch and dinner.**

Kara put away her phone and headed back to the precinct. Kara buried her head in paperwork, only rising to get another fix of caffeine from the sugary coffee she made. She leaned back as she finished the final report. Normally, a beginner like her would only be filling out reports, way before becoming an officer. However, since the serial killer craze that occurred every few years would result in cop death, not many were itching to sign up. So, Kara was able to become the standard beat cop. She had a couple choices that she could promote to once she got better. K-9 interested her plenty, but she knew that she had plenty of sway to get her into a detective position. Eventually she hoped to work with her sister. Kara smiled as she handed in the last of the reports. Then she sat down and waited for her shift to be over. She could already hear her bed calling her name. At the last minute though, she texted Lena. 

**Kara: Lee, you still up?**

**Lee: Of course, thanks to my** **long-time** **romantic partner, Insomnia**

**Kara: Would you like me to pick you** **up?** **We can go back to my place and watch a movie or stay at yours!**

**Lena: Ill pack an overnight bag, see you soon dear.**

Kara smiled, even though it hurt slightly. She put her helmet on and headed to her bike. As she drove down the streets of National city, she felt her heart hammer. It was the nerves; she was convinced that it was the nervousness of seeing Lena. Though she didn’t know why. 

_Lena finished packing her bag and she heard the knock at the door, meaning that Kara was there. She smiled and opened the door. Her stomach lurched as she saw the blonde_ _. Her cheek was purple and her lip split. She could see the wince as Kara smiled, and instead of leaving right away, she pulled the blonde in. With an internal curse she sat the woman on the_ _couch. Lena retreated to her bathroom to grab the medical kit before walking back out. She sat across from Kara on her coffee table and set the kit next to her. With a soft sigh, she took off Kara’s glasses._

_“What happened?” She asked softly. Lena looked down at her task,_ _pouring a drop of_ _rubbing alcohol on the gauze. She looked up into Kara’s eyes. She looked in them to see the universe, she saw the stars through them. Equally she saw the vast ocean with its depth_ _._

_“Crazy_ _workday_ _” Kara muttered_ _. Lena gently dabbed the open cut with the gauze. Her heart clenching as she heard Kara’s hiss. Though she gave credit to the woman for not moving much. After a few moments, she_ _switched to the bruise lotion that Lena had produced years ago. Ever so softly she began to rub the ointment in._

Kara felt like she could have screamed at the pain she felt. Instead she just let out a soft grunt, and then she held her breath. The whole world was blurred, save for Lena. As the brunette pulled away, she felt an overwhelming feeling of something in her gut. She saw how Lena cared, god she had been seeing it so much in the past couple of months. And this unspoken thing that they remained right on the edge of dating, yet still exploring their friendship, well it was driving Kara up a wall. She wanted to kiss her. She wanted to hold Lena in her arms and promise her the world. She wanted, very simply, to show her she cared. What was stopping her? Kara gently took Lena’s hands and scooted a tiny bit closer. 

She watched as Lena’s breath hitched. Those beautiful emerald eyes flitted down before looking back at her. Then with a whisper she asked, 

“Are we dating?” to which Lena chuckled 

_Lena had to chuckle at Kara’s question. She thought it obvious that they were something. Though they hadn’t moved to give a definite answer._ _She felt the familiar feeling of fear_ _race through her veins._ _She leaned in and met Kara_ _halfway_ _. Her lips captured Kara’s and she had to sigh at how soft the blonde’s lips were. Fear turning to joy. Gently, she broug_ _ht her hand to cup the non-bruised cheek. Kara lightly_ _pecked_ _her lips again and Lena’s eyes fluttered open._

_“ ‘_ _S that a yes?” Kara whispered and Lena kissed her again._ _Because oh god. Her lips were like wine, Kara tasted sweet, even with the slight taste of the anti-_ _ointment_ _on her lip. She heard Kara whimper, and Lena o_ _pened her eyes. Had Lena hurt her accidentally? She searched Kara’s face for the answer. Kara let out a gentle smile, free of pain. To which Lena gave her a smile back._ _Then Kara squeezed her hands._

_“I’m taking that as a yes.” Lena laughed brightly._

_“No Kara. You’re taking that as a Hell yes”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments give me life! Tell me what you guys think! Cos after this we are going to be speeding along! I want to know what you think is going to happen!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some plot fillers- Meet the other players on the chessboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I am breaking this chapter into two because the first half is so good, and the second half needs a strong re-write. Enjoy!  
> There is mention of Kara and Clark's torture. Be warned!

_ Lena huffed slightly. She looked at her mother who was watching her instead of the chess game. She crossed her arms and frowned. _ _ She hated when her mother did that. When she focused on her instead of getting on with their game. _

_ “It  _ **_ is _ ** _ your turn mother.” She spoke blatantly. A large part of Lena’s weekend was spent at Iron heights.  _ _ Visiting her mother. They always talked over a game of chess, which meant that the two chided  _ _ each other _ _ for their  _ _ latest actions. Lena would ask how jail was, Lillian would chide her for the outfits she wore. The two bickered until one  _ _ declared _ _ Checkmate both verbally and _ _ in their  _ _ game.  _ _ It was always interesting to see how the other handled the loss. Today though, Lena was re-creating the game that Lex had played. The moves had been stuck in her mind since the update. _ _ When she had finally installed the other side, she was even more confused. It seemed to not make any sense. _ _ She had two more moves to go until she could see what Lex sa _ _ w. Lillian _ _ narrowed her eyes and _ __ _ shook her head _ _. With a disappointed sigh, she _ _ moved her chess piece into place. _

_ Lena leaned forward and moved her pawn.  _ _ It made no sense. W _ _ hat was this? It was dancing, with no end goal. There was no proper move. It was a beginner’s game. Sloppy and uncoordinated.  _

_ “Ask what you really want to know Lena.” Lillian demanded as she moved the bishop. Lena’s brow furrowed as she noticed the change. If she went through with what Lex had set up, she would be left completely vulnerable.  _

_ “I don’t have a question that is so important that I must ask it right away.” Lena spoke, barely keeping her annoyance in check. Lillian leaned  _ _ back; _ _ every bit as regal as she was outside of jail. It seemed prison did her good. She fixed Lena with a levelled glare.  _

_ “You are imitating Lex’s game. Based  _ _ off _ _ my last move, you were utterly disappointed to see I made a different move. So, are you going to ask what you want to know?”  _ _ Lillian asked in a bored tone, as if slightly disappointed that Lena hadn’t figured it out on her own yet.  _

_ Lena wanted to know though. She ached to understand what was happening. She begged to know why everything seemed to be charged with electricity. Board meetings were tense. People staying an extra 10 feet from her. She felt as though it was a cal _ _ m before the storm, as though something was going to happen soon. But she didn’t want her mother to tell her like  _ _ some child who was just barely learning about the world.  _

_ “I am not disappointed. Rather I am taking the game in. Please continue.” Lena added as she moved her rook _ _. She quickly had to read the game, making sure that she was able to  _ _ keep up. With a sigh, Lillian moved a pawn. _

_ “ _ _ Lena, _ _ I think it’s time I told you a story.” Lena bit her  _ _ tongue; _ _ she could see the end in front of her. But she was curious, what did her mother have to say that could possibly  _ _ change anything? Still, she listened.  _ _ The woman had drilled hatred so deep into her bones that it hurt her to feel it now, even years after she had been freed from her grasp.  _

_ “As you know, you were adopted when your birth mother  _ _ passed away. We took you in and made sure that you were _ _ l _ _ \- looked after _ _ ”  _ _ Lena looked up, wondering what she would originally say. It still made her flinch to know that she had some semblance of love in her. Though she knew it all was directed to Lex.  _ _ Lillian had no love for Lena. That was a constant that she could never change. Lena looked down at the game again.  _

_ “ _ _ Lex loved you for sure. As soon as you were in the house, he wanted to teach you everything he knew. _ _ You two started to tinker together. His were more malicious than yours, but he told you good  _ _ job, _ _ nonetheless. _ __ _ Unfortunately,  _ _ at that age _ _ , he  _ _ started _ _ nurturing talents that stayed outside of the law. _ _ ” _ _ Lillian moved her chess pieces in a meticulous way, refusing to show any emotion in the game and the story.  _

_ “You had come up to me one day and asked why Lex was in his room with a bunny. When I went up there, I assumed what he would become. _ _ Whenever he had something going on that was criminal,  _ _ you were the first to tell me. Eventually he just got better at hiding it from us. He learned from a young age how to hide getting his hands dirty. _ _ ” Lillian’s words brought back memories _ _ , and she remembered seeing all the crazy things that he did. Until one day they stopped, and she believed her brother was normal again.  _

_ “You went back to looking up to him _ _. Your father and I thought that we would have two criminals in the family. So _ _ , _ _ we decided to restrict you, because you hadn’t dirtied your hands yet.  _ _ We made sure that you couldn _ _ ’ _ _ t _ _ discover the horrid stuff. I won’t forget the first weekend  _ _ you went away to boarding school. Your  _ _ schoolteacher _ _ called us to tell us that you had hacked into the database and wiped everyone’s grades out. Just for fun. _ _ ” Lena remembered that, she struggled to keep the smirk on her face to a minimum. Thankfully, Lillian didn’t see. Instead, she pressed on.  _

__ _ “ _ _ Y _ _ our father... Well his heart couldn’t stand the stress. When he passed, he hoped that it would be enough for Lex to stop his actions. Of course, I couldn’t stop my son from what he was doing _ _ -” _

_ “Yes, but you didn’t have to help him mother.” Lena snapped as she moved her chess pieces in.  _

_ “True, and that’s on me.” Lillian  _ _ conceded _ _. “However, I did have to make sure that he wasn’t about to suffer anything fatal.” _

_ “He is a serial killer mother. Damned it all to hell, he should suffer something fatal for each action he made against those he’s killed!” Lena felt her temper rising, and she saw the hur _ _ t flash across Lillian’s face. She looked at the chess game, and her hand rested atop the king. After a moment, she bit her lip. _ _ It seemed like she was thinking, and Lena didn’t like it when her mother thought too much. But before she could say anything more, she cleared her throat. _

_ “I am sorry Lena. I really want to fix this, and I don’t know where to start.” Lillian spoke, and then she tipped her King over.  _ _ Lena looked at the board. Lillian was _ _ one step away from a checkma _ _ te _ _. Confused, she thought about how _ _ she had surrendered. Instead of giving this woman any satisfaction, she cleared her throat and stood up.  _

_ “I  _ _ won’t be here next _ _ week.” Lena walked to the door and the guards let her out. She held her head up until getting into the back of her car. _ _ Frank stayed silent as he pulled out of the parking lot. Lena sniffed slightly,  _

_ “Take me  _ _ home _ _ please” Lena spoke before raising the divider. She found her cheeks wet with tears, and she cursed each one. Why did she feel so attached to her mother? Why did it hurt so much? Lena knew that Lillian only had a year left until  _ _ she was let out. Could Lena begin to feel safe after that? She didn’t know.  _ _ She pulled out her phone to see a message from Kara. She had told the blonde that she would be visiting her mother today, and the blonde had been more than  _ _ comforting. She had encouraged Lena to go, even when she voiced her doubts. She remembered how Kara explained that even though she knew her parents weren _ _ ’ _ _ t _ _ the best of  _ _ people; _ _ she would stil _ _ l give anything just to talk to them again. She had so many questions _ _ that wouldn’t  _ _ be answered. Lena owed it to herself.  _

_ Still Lena didn’t want to be close to her. She couldn’t help but feel that everything Lillian said was for some game, some show. To  _ _ Lena _ _ it was a way that she showed weakness. The only one that she could trust,  _ _ was Kara. If she could even do that. It was hard to  _ _ open _ _ to Kara to anything personal.  _ _ Sure, _ _ Kara knew what foods Lena loved to eat, and what books she was interested in. Kara knew how Lena slept through the nights,  _ _ and even Lena’s desires to help the world, but she hadn’t given Kara much look into who she was behind that. She felt that  _ _ she needed to preserve that, so that she could save herself. _ _ Even if Kara knew that she was one of  _ **_ Those _ ** __ _ Luthors _ _. She still couldn’t give Kara more than  _ _ the bare minimum. She called it protection; others would call it isolation. _ __ _ Lena looked at the message again, _

**_ Kara: If you want to be alone when you are done with your mom, I totally understand. But if you would like, I can be at your apartment with Chinese faster than  _ ** **_ a bullet. _ **

_ Lena smiled softly, she wiped her tears and  _ _ dialed _ _ Kara’s number. _

_ “Hey, how are you?” Kara asked the second the phone rang. _ _ The blonde’s voice clearly tainted with worry. _ __ _ Lena cleared her throat, though her voice still sounded slightly wobbly. _

_ “When you say faster than a bullet, do you mean that?” _

_ “ _ _ Yes, _ _ I do.” Lena could hear the _ _ soft _ _ smile, and the world around her brightened, even without seeing t _ _ he blonde in person. _

_ “I suppose that I should order my driver to hurry up then” Lena chuckled _

_ “How about you let me know when you are almost  _ _ home, _ _ and I will head over at some respectable  _ _ speeds.” Kara spoke softly with a chuckle. Lena found herself nodding. _ _ Though Kara wouldn’t see her. _

_ “Sounds amazing” Lena muttered. She looked out her window, she’d be home in 20 minutes. _

_ “I’ll be home in about 25 minutes. _ _ ” Lena spoke, hoping that it would be enough time to change into something a bit more comfortable.  _

_ “I will see you then” Kara spoke before they hung up. Lena briefly wondered what she did to deserve Kara. Her brief wonderings weren’t truly brief. If  _ _ Lena was ready to admit it, she thought about it at least one every other hour. You know, when she had a moment to think about it. But she would never admit that Kara was almost always on her mind. She would never accept that she was  _ _ worrying about a relationship that might be over with the next phone call.  _ _ Part of her reasoned that it was all a protection thing. _

_ As Frank pulled up to the building, Lena’s heart caught in her chest. She got out and there was Kara Danvers. Her hair was down in its natural curls, but she had a beanie on her head.  _ _ She had a white  _ _ T-shirt _ _ on with a red flannel over it. Kara almost never wore jeans, but here she was with some on.  _ _ She could even see some suspenders that were clipped on. Oh god, what was Kara doing to her? _ _ She even had on the whitest tennis shoes that could be imagined, and Lena loved it all.  _ _ Kara looked up from her phone, slipping it into her pocket while holding up their food. _ _ Glasses. Kara was wearing Glasses. She knew that she wore contacts, but this? Glasses. She collect _ _ ed herself, making sure that she was steady to walk.  _ _ Lena’s  _ _ smile matched Kara’s and together they walked over to the elevator.  _

_ Despite having a horrible morning, Lena knew her evening was already looking up. As they stood  _ _ in the elevator, Lena relieved Kara of the food and Kara kept hold of her hand. It felt natural and she  _ _ quenched _ _ the nervous Danvers stammers with a soft _ _ kiss to her cheek.  _

_ Lena unlocked the door and told Kara to get comfortable. She went to her room and changed into some comfortable jeans and a sweater. She switched fro _ _ m her contacts to her glasses and then joined Kara in the living room. The blonde was already munching her way through her share of pot stickers. Lena sat next to her, folding one leg to sit on and the other dangling off the couch.  _ _ She watched as Kara nearly choked on her food as the blonde took in what she was wearing. Lena felt her cheeks redden. _

_ “Are you alright?” She asked softly as she handed the blonde some water. _

_ “Y-yeah,  _ _ you're _ _ just so beautiful _ _ and I really wasn’t expecting you to look this” Kara motioned to what she was wearing before finishing with red cheeks and a sheepish smile “Amazing” _

_ “You flatter me Kara” _

_ “I am serious babe.” Kara spoke _ _. Lena froze slightly, they hadn’t truly discussed pet names. Though she always called Kara  _ _ D _ _ ear or Darling. Kara seemed to notice and freeze as well. _

_ “Is that okay?” She asked softly and Lena’s heart soared. How could it not be? _ _ God, one of these days she wouldn’t be able to say n _ _ o to anything Kara asked. One of these days she would regret her inability to say no.  _

_ “Yes” She breathed softly before scooting closer. Kara wrapped her arms around Lena and gently kissed the top of her head.  _ _ Lena leaned against Kara’s side, allowing the physical contact  _ _ to be _ _ enough to sate her. She could feel Kara’s muscles as she swiveled back to the table.  _

_ “Do you want to talk about your morning?” Kara asked as they returned to their food. _ __ _ Lena found herself hesitating. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to do this. A large part of her still was hiding behind those walls, and if Kara didn’t like what she had behind them, it would crush her.  _

_ “My mother can be a pain.” Lena spoke, deciding that an inch wasn’t too bad. _ _ But an inch was plenty. _ __ _ Kara nodded gently. But the woman stayed silent _ _ , waiting for Lena to  _ _ open _ __ _ for her _ _. _ _ Lena appreciated Kara for what she was doing.  _ __

_ “I think part of her was trying to say she loved me today.” Lena picked at her food, suddenly not hungry. _ _ She set the container down. Lena went to fiddling with her fingers.  _

_ “She was trying to justify Lex’s actions.” Lena muttered, frowning at the memory. She was too lost in her thoughts to pick up on the subtle way Kara’s body tensed against her.  _ _ Or the way that Kara’s silence became loaded. Lena had become so used to the tension of the world, ready to snap its springs, that she failed to sense Kara in the same boat.  _

“I guess that Lex was always experimenting with stuff... criminally that is.” Kara demanded her lungs to work and her body to relax. She gently held Lena closer to her, providing them both with comfort.

“Tell me about him...” Kara whispered. She had to do something though, because a s she listened to Lena talk about her childhood with Lex,  her body felt trapped. It felt as though she couldn’t breathe. Still,  she made sure to take every bit of  it in.  I t pained her to do such, she needed Lena to know that she appreciated the woman  opening up . 

As Lena’s stories lulled, Kara gently  maneuvered so she could look in Lena’s eyes. She held the woman’s hands and then took a deep breath. With much practice, she pushed away the pain and the memories to focus on Lena. 

“Thank you”  Kara muttered softly. “I know these stories are so hard to talk about, and these stories are most likely the more pleasant ones of the bunch.”  She watched as Lena’s eyes started to shine with tears. Reaching up, she wiped one away before placing her lips on Lena’s forehead. They stayed that way for a while. 

“I just feel so bad!” Lena spoke as they pulled apart. “The world sees me as the Luthor who got away. The one who slipped through the cracks when we were investigated. They saw me and thought that I had to have done something to help my family. All for one and one for all, you know?” L ena s ighed and Kara set her food down. Though she should have known that it wouldn’t be so easy to  maneuver this. 

“Ever since he got caught, I have been doing everything to find out who he has hurt directly.  I've reached out to the family members of those who he’s killed and offered them help in any way.  All except for Clark Kent .”

Kara’s blood went cold. Had Lena figured it out? It took Kara  all her strength and then some to stay calm and patient. She was thankful  that Lena was looking at her hands. She wasn’t ready for this conversation. Kara took several small breaths, replacing the long shaky one that wanted to come out. 

“I haven’t found Clark’s family. That or the person that was with Clark when he...” Lena trailed off. Kara bit her lip. She  could feel the night coming back to her. It was the night that she had begged  J’onn J’onzz to keep her anonymous. She hadn’t ever begged like that before. She was on her knees in the hospital room, the monitors all screaming as she sobbed.

** ‘Please’ ** She begged, barely able to breathe. ** ‘I don’t want my name on this. Keep m ** ** e out. I’ll testify, but I don’t want my face attached. I don’t want my voice attached. I don’t want this to be how  ** ** I'm ** ** known ** **. I don’t want him to win ** ** ’  ** Kara had never seen  J’onn so resolute.  When he agreed, she felt that she had gained control of her life again. In fact, the only times she had felt out of control was when she had to testify what she had gone through.

“ It's common knowledge  that there was someone else there. She testified in court. But no one knows what she looks like. ” Lena spoke softly. Kara was in her head. She was backing away from the conversation . She couldn’t focus on Lena, even if she wanted to. Her mind was going through the nights, the way that her arms were held together. She could feel the hot breath on her cheek as Lex taunted Clark. 

** Clark was on his knees, his head rocking back and forth. Kara felt the gravel sticking into her own knees. It felt cold though, and the rocks didn’t bother her as much. **

** “Oh Clark” Lex had a sing song voice... **

** “Kara?” Clark’s voice was feminine- **

“Kara?” Lena was looking at her with an odd face. Kara shook her head, dipping her head down. She had to do something, change the tone  somehow.  She hoped it would be soon because, Rao, she wouldn’t be able to take the conversation well if the woman continued. 

“ I don’t know...  What I do know is that you are doing an amazing job creating such a light. You are doing something so beautiful and good, and it is more than enough.” Kara spoke in earnest.  She wouldn’t lie, it had been hard to get through that. However due to Lena’s  insistence , anyone who  anonymously requested therapy due to Lex’s actions was able to forward the bill to L -Corp. Kara had  graciously accepted the therapy. In fact, she still saw her on occasion. That was how she met her best friend , James. 

_ Lena looked up into Kara’s eyes. A soft gasp escaping her. She had felt praise before, but not like this. Not when the things that she tried the hardest to do were directly against her fam _ _ ily’s wishes. She searched Kara’s face, finding only honesty and a slight bit of pain. She held no malice, harbored no hate. Hell, _ _ she still had trouble accepting that _ _ they were dating, and the intensity of it  _ _ was overwhelming. Lena leaned in and kissed Kara deeply. She whimpered as their touch seared. It felt oh so good. Though Lena was good at describing many things, th _ _ is was one that she would never be able to cover. She could never tell another how Kara’s lips tasted, how soft the skin was. She could never describe the way Kara’s heavenly sigh  _ _ resonated in her ears and through her souls.  _ _ Lena would never be able to describe how she burned with  _ _ passion yet _ _ felt cold tingles all over her body from just those lips.  _

_ Oh fuck. Lena swore in her head. Was she falling already? It was going fast already, and her heart was already doing this? Oh, fuck was right _ _ , along with a few other choice words. Lena felt Kara kiss the corner of her lips before whispering, _

_ “You are amazing, you know that?” She heard Kara sigh _ _. Lena _ _ nodded _ _ because with Kara around, she did feel  _ _ amazing _ _. _

_ “Not as amazing as you _ _ though _ _. You may be a cop for the city, but to me, Kara Danvers. You are my Hero” Lena told her honestly. She  _ _ watched as Kara brightened and they met in the middle for another kiss.  _

_ The night ended with them watching the original versions of Narnia while Kara practically drooled at the sight of Turkish delight.  _ _ Lena had an idea, though she wasn’t good at baking. With a grin, she started to plan their next date.  _ _ Towards the end, they had sleepily decided to change into their sleepwear. To which Lena then moved to make them some hot chocolate and tea. The two sat on the balc _ _ ony and discussed the movies. Kara had just brought up how good  _ _ all _ _ the food looked when a _ _ loud ding was heard.  _ _ Kara _ _ pulled out her _ _ phone.  _ _ With a frown the woman opened it up, casting a slightly white hue on her face. _

_ “It’s a _ _ summons. I have to go testify against Leslie.” Kara muttered. She dropped her phone in her pocket and took a sip of her mug. Though Lena could tell that she was still thinking about something. _

_ “ _ _ That’s livewire- right?” Lena asked, and Kara nodded. She recalled the capture well, and the amount that  _ _ it _ _ troubled Kara. _ __ _ She watched the blonde nod before standing up and walking to Kara’s side. She sat next to the woman and wrapped her  _ _ arms around her. Kara smiled at her, leaning into the comfort.  _ __

Kara ended up staying the night, and just the fact that she could snuggle up to Lena meant the world to her. As she woke up with a yawn, she could tell that their limbs were entangled. Kara was on her back, Lena on her stomach . Lena’s cheek rested on Kara’s chest, her arm was wrapped  around, and she could feel the hand slightly tucked under her back. Lena’s leg rested between hers, and Kara seemed to hold her with both hands and  the intimacy of the situation made her heart beat hard. So much so, that Kara would have bet that it was the reason Lena woke up moments later. She watched as her girlfriend stretched and yawned sleepily. It ma de her smile as she watched the emerald eyes open slowly. Though they weren’t very alert, she could tell that they were focusing on her. Briefly, Kara imagined what she must’ve looked like. Mussed hair,  she  definitely had something on her cheek, and her eyes felt crusty dusty from the sleep that gathered there. She watched as Lena lifted herself up to kiss her nose. Kara smiled before  kissing her forehead back.

“I wish we could stay in bed all day today” Lena murmured. Kara’s heart soared.

“Me too” Kara whispered. So  far, they had been able to keep their relationship out of the press, only due to the lack of PDA that they gave.  So, moments like these, when they could spend their time wrapped up in another,  tended to last a long time. They both cherished the touches, the kisses, and the fondness of it all. Their silence was broken by Lena’s stomach growling. Kara chuckled, feeling glad that she had gotten Lena’s stomach used to eating again. 

“Breakfast?” She asked, to which Lena replied with a groan. 

“ Wanna stay here” She muttered into Kara’s chest. Kara ignored the vibrations and where they were affecting her the most. Instead, she let her hands roam over Lena’s back. One of her hands stayed at the base of her neck, massaging the skin. The other gently dragged her nails up and down Kara’s back.  She felt Lena’s smile accompanied with a loving hum. Kara wondered how long they could get away with just being together like this. They had only really been going out for a couple weeks , though it felt like they were meant to be together for the rest of their lives. Kara felt that each time she had to leave, no matter how much time they had spent together, leaving always felt too soon.

Lena’s stomach  growled  again; this time accompanied with Kara’s. They both laughed at the sounds while untangling their limbs from one another.  As they stood up, Lena headed to the bathroom to change, and Kara headed to the kitchen. Kara was useless at cooking, but she could bake like no other. She pulled out the ingredients needed to bake them a cinnamon roll . As she did, she heard Lena’s morning radio turn on. With a grin, she listened  to Carole King. The cinnamon rolls were rolled, sliced, and put in the oven by the time that Lena had stepped into the kitchen. Kara could tell that she had showered, her hair was still lightly damp. Though the woman was  leaning against the banister as though she had been watching Kara for a while.

_ She had been watching Kara for at least half of the song. The blonde was in a tee shirt, sleep shorts, and neon green fuzzy socks. She had also been belting out the lyrics as she baked, slipping and sliding around the kitchen. Kara had bopped the oven closed with  _ _ her hip and that was when the blonde seemed to have noticed her standing there. Lena smiled at  _ _ her and _ _ was greeted with a blush. _

_ “Don’t stop” Lena spoke as she shimmied over to Kara. The most  _ _ beautiful _ __ _ laugh came from Kara as they danced together. Lena realized that the fuzzy socks were all  _ _ a part _ _ of the gimmick, as Kara  _ _ would dramatically slide  _ _ from one spot to the next on the kitchen tile. Lena laughed happily as they went from one song to the next.  _ _ She watched as the sun shone bright around  _ _ Kara and _ _ danced with her to the beat. Once their rolls were out and cooling, Lena moved to make them eggs. Kara took that time to go get dressed.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are so lovely! Leave more for me! Let me know what you think. Should I have Lillian be good for Lena? Will Lena be finding out about Kara? Will we ever get the full story of what happened between Kara, Clark, and Lex?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena-   
> Flex-o-Suit development  
> Harun-El discussions  
> Livewire's arrest reports, issues?  
> Kelly and Kara have their therapy sessionssss (Like they should in the show but whatever)  
> Kara and Alex working out and Sparring!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH I'm sorry about the long gap! Work really picked up and so did school, so I got whisked away quickly! Anyways! Some fun stuff for you guys! We are starting to head up the plot wheel and get to the good stuff! Just a bit more background and exposition lays in our way. I'd say two more chapters of this before the real plot comes in.

The corner of the small white pillow had several loose threads that were  jutting out. Kara had half a mind to grab Kelly’s scissors and cut them off. B ut it allowed her fingers to work with something, and so they stayed. The room was silent. Kelly was watching her with those eyes. Not ones that judged her by any means, but ones that  seemed to know Kara was holding back. It  wasn’t like she was trying to keep  the secrets in, because that alone caused her to feel guilty. It was moreover trying to figure out what to say. 

Kelly the all-knowing raised an eyebrow. Kara sighed and set the pillow to the side. She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. She shifted,  frowned and tried again.

“I don’t know where to start I suppose.” Kara finally answered. It was matched with a concerned sigh. All Kelly had asked was why she had made the appointment. Kara felt the talk coming. Instead she watched Kelly  close her lips, motioning with only an eyebrow raise to continue.

“I... Well, with Clark’s death come and past...  it's been on my mind. He’s been on my mind.” Kara finally started to speak. She  didn’t want to include Lena, but if she  didn’t say something,  she’d burst. Kelly made an understanding nod.

“Alright, well do you want me to call in and get an update ?” Kelly asked softly, reaching for the phone. Kara had always felt safer knowing that Lex was locked up.  Meekly , she nodded. She watched as Kelly dialed the number and then listened as she put it o n speaker .  They walked through the steps until they were able to get to a warden.

“This is Kelly Olsen with Obsidian Therapy.  License number 072463. I  assist patients who have experience d trauma from violent offenders.  Therefore, I would like to request an update on the status of  prisoner number 16-TK421 " 

Kara recalled the shock that came when they first asked. It had been a weekly past time. She felt suddenly nervous, and her fingers itched for the threads at the corner of the pillow. She listened to the  clack of the keyboard as the warden pulled up the file. 

“I am sorry Ms.  Olsen; it looks as though prisoner 16-TK421's file has been sealed. We cannot give out information unless we have familial pe rmission. I can send a request and call you back once the request is approved ” The warden spoke. Kara’s stomach tightened and her heart sank. Why would anyone seal that information? Before she could think better about it or tell Kelly that she should jus t hang up, Kelly was speaking.

“Yes. Put in the request ”

“Can I get the name of the patient?” The warden asked. Kara’s blood felt like ice. She shuddered.

“That is confidential, but if you need a name... Put mine.” Kelly spoke. Rarely had Kara seen Kelly annoyed or anything worse than such, bu t the look on Kelly’s face was one of anger. As she hung up, Kara could only guess why.

“I am sorry that we couldn’t get the Lex update today. The girl must be new, she should know that any therapist calling can’t give the name of their patient ” Kelly scoffed before standing up and walking to her desk. She grabbed her water bottle before heading back to the chair. Then the focus was on Kara again. 

“What has been going through your mind when it circles back to him?” Kelly asked.

“ Well... I worry about him getting out. He told me that we weren’t done ” 

“Do you remember how hard it is to get out of his cell?” 

During the first few weeks of dealing with Lex’s imprisonment, they had gone over the blueprints of Iron Heights. They worked out how each  possible escape attempt would turn out, and it had put  Kara’s mind at ease. At first because each task seemed daunting in its own way. Then because it would mean that it would take a long time for the routes to work. But as the time wore on , she could feel her anxiety rising because certain attempts were becoming more possible by the moment.  Lex was a smart man. Kara knew this, but she also knew that the extent of the law could only reach so far. It was both a  perk and a fallback of becoming an officer. 

“Yes, but those possibilities rise every moment. The  likelihood of him breaking out increases with each day...” 

“There is something else that is bothering you, though closely connected.” Kelly surmised, knowing Kara. Kara  didn’t like to dwell on things that they had worked through unless it meant a new development had occurred. Kara sighed.

“I’m dating his sister” Kara uttered, so quiet she could feel the air shift as Kelly leaned in to hear her better. 

“I’m sorry did you say that you are dating his sister?” Kelly asked as soft as she could utter. Focusing on the design of the carpet, she nodded. Kara winced as Kelly took in a sharp breath of air. To anyone who didn’t think it was possible to stand in air that was awkward, Kara felt envio us. 

“How did this happen?” 

Kara took a deep breath.

“I spilled coffee on her during finals week... which lead to a breakfast with her... then I asked her to a dinner” Kara spoke, and she watched as Kelly gave her a soft smile. Maybe it would all be okay, and  maybe she would be able to do this. 

“Then she took you out on a date?” Kara nodded and then let a small smile of her own out. 

“She is amazing Kelly. She is funny- her puns are to die for.  She’s smart, we can debate on different scientific theories for hours and not get bored. She is a nerd too \- which of course means that we spend our weekends re-watching Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and all those classics...” Kara’s smile only grew. In fact, Lena was perfect, from the tiniest stud in her ear, down to the gentle smile that was reserved only for her. 

“That’s good Kara. I am glad that she  can comfort you and that you are happy with her. It must be nice for the two of you t wo to share your stories about Lex and have someone who understands.” Kelly spoke with a smile. Kara’s heart thudded  loudly, and she fidgeted with the pillow more.

“I uh... Yeah it is”

“You haven’t told her yet” It  wasn’t a question. It was a statement. It was laced with a warning. 

“I know...” Kara answered the unknown warning.

“But what if she looks at me  wrong? We haven’t been  intimate because of the-” Kara motioned to her body, which had a  puzzle work of scars  from Lex. 

“And I just... I couldn’t live with it if she pitied me... or worse, if she decided to leave me because of  it? ”

“Kara...” Kelly shifted and grabbed her fiddling hands to still them. She  looked into Kelly’s eyes. 

“What if she does the one thing you don’t expect and  understands?” Kara thought about it. What if Lena did understand? What if she found someone who  didn’t care about her past, and  didn’t think of her as weak... Rao it would be nice. 

Kelly leaned back. 

“Our Hour is unfortunately up. I recommend you think seriously about telling Lena- and sooner rather than later. If not for the sake of being honest, then for the sake of knowing how she feels about it. ” Kelly instructed. Kara nodded and said her farewells before heading out of the office. 

Kara showed up to work  with an ache in her bones . She had slept wrong, and she blamed it on her couch. Instead of sleeping at Lena’s that past night , Kara had stayed home . She used the distance to prepare for her therapy session and spent the late  evening with Alex. They had to catch up on  Homeland, and then Alex showed her a new show. Good Girls. Which meant that they opened a new bottle of wine  and after each episode, they quickly discussed what had happened. It was comical to see  these girls blunder about. Alex was confused as to how they were able to evade the police. Though, as the night wore on, and they finished the first season, they realized just how crazy it was going to get. 

She winced as she sat down at her desk, groaning as she realized that she had to stand up to pull her report on the  Willis case up. Kara rep ressed a  whine as she stood back up and went to her personal filing cabinet. She thumbed through a few files, some with cases of speeding tickets, some heroic arrests, most just boring updates. As Kara  pulled out the file she needed, she could tell that there was more weight to it than usual. Kara walked to her desk and opened the file, scanning over everything. She was thankful that she had made a third copy, because this was different somehow. The paper was heavier, and  some of the actions that were described  hadn’t happened. Cat was never held against her will. Cat was never a hostage. They said that it was her who had made the shot, but SWAT had. With a frown, she  stood up and walked to Cat’s office. 

“Cat. This report is wrong.”  Kara watches as Cat leans back. She fixed Kara with a glare and suddenly, she wondered if this was a bad idea.

“It’s not wrong  Kierah . It is just that you  don’t remember that night well. I have fixed the report to match the events.” Cat spoke as she  resumed typing a report. Kara frowned. 

“I can’t testify to this. It’s wrong Cat.” Kara spoke,  almost instantly wishing she  hadn’t . Cat was standing up, and though she  wasn’t yelling, Kara suddenly wished she  was . 

“ Kierah , you will testify to this event. You will  make sure not to defy my orders once more. Should you choose to act out, I will see you fired. ” 

Kara backed out, shoulders hunched over and went to her desk. She  sat down without any further hesitation. It worried her, she felt like she was losing control again .  She read over the  file and committed it to memory. The more she read it over and thought about it, the less sure she was that it was wrong . She looked over the original report that she  made and noticed how shaky her handwriting was. Had she been so nervous that night that she forgot such an important detail? Pulling up the electronic file, she saw the surveillance camera. From that angle it looked like Carter had been given to Kara, and then almost  immediately Leslie had brought the knife up to Cat’s throat. She saw the bullet come from her firearm and Willis  drop the knife. From this view she had saved Cat Grant. So why hadn’t she remembered it? She downloaded the video to a flash drive and  tucked it away. Then she saw Cat approaching.

“You are to show up to Court Thursday at 10. You can come in uniform, but it is better to look like a normal person, so suit and tie is  recommended \- or a dress, whatever you prefer”

Kara nodded, then followed her into the  bulletin board to get the assignments for her shift. She was to pat rol the streets in the  suburban area . She also was to give a ride-along. Kara nodded and headed to her desk to grab her computer . She walked up to the reception area to find her ride-along. It was with utter shock that she saw the black-haired woman with piercing green eyes  and the smile that made her knees  weak . With a nervous smile, Lena dropped her hands to her sides. 

“Hello Officer” Lena spoke softly. Kara had shown up at Lena’s work many times before, but it was rare to see her in the police department. Kara hoped that the nervousness came from being there and not from being with her.  Kara smiled brightly. 

“Lena! Come on in!” Kara opened the door for her to go through and walked her around the  precinct for a little bit before they headed out to the big SUV. She helped Lena climb in before walking around and hopping in. After a moment to set up her computer they rolled out into the night. 

“Okay so I know I said that I love road trips and that we should take one, but I didn’t know that we were planning on you doing a ride-along " Kara joked softly. She was rewarded with a light chuckle. 

“Actually, I am here for other reasons, despite the fact that I get to hang out with you” Lena grinned. Kara tilted her head and slowed down for a stop sign. 

“What kind of reasons?” She asked, looking over to her for a quick second. 

“Actually... for L-Corp.” Lena explained, “ I'm engaging in a partnership with the National City Police Department. We are designing  flexible suits that go under your uniform for more protection”

Kara smiled at the thought. She looked down at her uniform, it was heavy for sure, and she had a bullet proof vest that would  protect most of her chest. The vital organs. Though it did little for any smart foe. She felt warmth on her cheeks at the thought of wearing something designed by Lena. 

“Such a new interest! Could it be someone inspired you?” Kara teased, and when Lena simply blushed, Kara understood. It  ** was ** because of her that Lena was working on something like this. She brought Lena’s hand up to her lips and kissed the knuckles softly. 

They pulled into a large neighborhood and  immediately Kara slowed down. She looked at each house with awe. They all had their flags out and signs depicting just who they supported. Some had high school graduation signs on their lawn.  Some were enjoying the summer as they lounged with their chairs out. The adults talked  leisurely with  each other and a beer in their hands. The kids played football or raced on their bikes.  It brought back memories of her childhood. 

Midvale was such a small town that everyone ended up at someone’s house after  a hot summer day for a cool evening party. The kids would all do their best to  come u p with a  long-lasting game that took them through the week. By far Kara’s favorite was when they all played  superheroes .  They would start on a Sunday night sitting on the porch of William’ s parents and drawing straws . The short straws were the  villains , the long ones were the Heroes. She remembered having the hero cape tucked in her shirt as she sped through the streets on her longboard, only to tackle  childhood friend, Barry at the end of it. They had come home every night with some new scar or wound. 

She looked over to Lena who was watching with a  pained smile. 

“I told you that I was adopted right?” Lena asked softly as she watched the kids. They crept along the streets, making sure that no child was in their driving path. 

“Yeah” Kara answered softly. She waved at the little boy who stopped to  stare. The boy’s grin sp lit wide and he ran back to his mom, pointing at the car. The family waved back together. 

“Well I was old enough to remember the basic stuff about my mother... never knew my dad though. Anyway, I moved into the Luthor household when I was 6. My hand s were wrapped around a teddy bear and that was all I  was allowed to have to remember her. Thing is, as I grew up, I always saw kids playing. I would be in my room with the telescope and that was what I looked at. I always wondered what it was like to have a block party... the  only kind mother threw were for the child-less business owners she  frequently worked with” Lena admitted. Kara picked up the pace as they rounded the corner . She saw no other block parties around and the neighborhood was  pretty quiet .

“Oh Lena...” Kara  muttered softly, she looked to her girlfriend and saw the woman picking at her cuticles. Then she gave her a soft smile before looping back around to head out. 

“ I'm sorry about that, If I could take you to one, I would. Maybe one of these days I’ll take you back to Midvale and we can have a somewhat adult party” Kara offered. It sounded weak to her ears, but for all she knew it was all that she could do.  She decided to plan one for the next couple weekends. She could gather  all of their friends up and they could all bring their own food and alcohol. She made a mental note to text Alex about it when they stopped. 

“That would be nice” Lena said with a small smile. She watched as Lena pulled out her own tablet and hummed slightly. It looked like she was working, which meant that Kara could watc h her out of the corner of her eye. Lena’s hair was pulled back into a bun and there was no flaw in the shape of it. She also had on boardroom makeup, or  that’s what Lena called it. Usually Kara saw it when they had their work lunches together, or they m et up on Friday nights. Rarely would she see it on Monday morning when she ducked out early to get to work.  As if expecting questions to form in her head, Lena launched into an explanation.

“I am making notes regarding how flexible one needs to be  in order to work the suit. You’ll have to have more flexibility in your legs to run- which I’ve assumed , but I may need to  tweak for getting in and out of the car...” Lena  muttered , typing onto the screen. Kara smiled. They pulled off to the side of the road to where a car was parked. Kara pulled up the license plate number befo re checking if there was anyone in the car. It had been empty, and the driver was  supposedly incarcerated . Kara settled for calling a tow company to get it off the road . Lena stretched as Kara opened the door and hopped out. She opened the trunk and sat on the lip of it. With a small  pat , Lena joined her. They had done some rotations and the radio had been silent. She watched as Lena looked up at the sky.

“It’s nowhere near what we saw at Rao’s but I’ve taken to looking at the sky more  often... ” Lena whispered with a smile. Kara wished she  wasn’t on the clock. She wished she could kiss Lena. Instead she rubbed  her back and nodded. They  hadn’t added a microphone to her body cam, but it would be on whenever the next order came in. She took comfort in the fact that she could do  small things like this to comfort Lena.

“We should go back one of these evenings!” Kara spoke with a smile. Lena’s smile grew to match Kara’s and she knew  that Lena  wouldn’t mind either.  They watched as the tow truck came up and hooked up the car. Then they decided to head for their lunch. Kara treated her to some homemade  Italian food.

_ “Oh my god” Lena moaned at the taste of the food. They were currently at a park enjoying the emptiness of it. The park was closed and during patrol, Kara usually stopped here to eat. It was dark, so Kara had a candle with her.  _ _ It had been a shock when Kara poured the  _ _ spaghetti _ _ into a bowl.  _

_ “I usually keep a large pot of this for when I do my night patrols” Kara explained before taking a tentative bite.  _

_ “Kara thi _ _ s- is this from Rao’s?” _

_ “No, not really. I made _ _ it myself.” Kara spoke sounding pleased with herself. Lena gasped.  _ _ Of course, _ _ she knew that Kara baked, but that she  _ _ didn’t _ _ do cooking too well. Aside from  _ _ Italian _ _ food apparently _ _.  _ __ _ She finished her dinner while discussing the new suit with Kara. Kara had given her plenty of ideas on how to check for flexibility. She smiled as Kara  _ _ told her about the obstacle course. If Kara could  _ _ show it to her... she could see the places that needed to be worked on the suit. They decided to go tomorrow. With a smile, Lena made the appointment and tucked her tablet away. _

_ The rest of the night was  _ _ pretty slow _ _ , and for that Lena was thankful. It meant that they could talk more. She had  _ _ taken a big step today, telling Kara a little bit about her childhood. Kara had returned that in trifold, telling her about the block parties they used to have and her time with the Danvers.  _ _ She _ _ also told her about Eliza and how they would spend time painting together. Lena  _ _ didn’t _ _ feel envious, because to compare their relationships was to compare grapes to a black hole. They just  _ _ didn’t _ _ work.  _ _ Instead she felt the warmth and motherly compassion radiating from Kara and took it as her own. _

_ When the clock struck 3, they headed back to the station. Kara was on the graveyard shift for the rest of the week, so she was used to the  _ _ nights. Lena however, felt the yawns increasing as she made her way back to her car. Kara had to stay to finish her  _ _ paperwork but _ _ promised to call once she was out. Lena had half a mind to wait for her, but instead started her ignition.  _

_ She drove home, humming to the radio and felt the wind keeping her awake. As soon as she got home, she collapsed in her bed and succumbed to her dreams.  _

_ The next morning was a rush of meetings. She had finally received the okay to start her Harun-El project. She was hoping to make the medicine so that it would fight off any toxin or poison in the body.  _ _ She had gathered her team and instructed them to compile a list of all the known toxins and poisons that could be fatally harmful to the body. She had them compile it into a single spreadsheet, along with the individual cure. Then she instructed the  _ _ people working on the suits to pause until she could return with the flexibility test. She gathered the equipment for the flexibility test and snagged the most up to date prototype and headed out the door.  _

_ By the time she met Kara at the obstacle course, the summer’s heat was making her dread the dress she wore. It was tight and offered no relief for the sun’s rays. She was thankful to have brought  _ _ sunglasses _ _ and a large hat. She put the  _ _ briefcase on the picnic table and looked up to Kara. She swallowed harshly. This had to be the most skin that Kara had shown her- ever. Kara had a tank top on which barely concealed the sports bra underneath it. It  _ _ swayed loosely in the wind, which allowed her to get more glimpses of the muscles hiding beneath it. She wore shorts and running sneakers, completing the look with a ponytail and sunglasses of her own. Kara smiled as she walked up _ _. Their lips met with a fondness that  _ _ hadn’t _ _ been so strong the last time they did this.  _

_ “Been wanting to do that since yesterday” Kara admitted with a blush on her cheeks. Lena smiled and leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek softly.  _

_ “Me too” Lena spoke before opening the case. It had many green dots that acted as sensors. She walked around Kara’s body and put them where they needed to go. She cleared her throat, holding four dots.  _

_ “Two have to go on your stomach and the other on your back.” Lena spoke, motioning for her to  _ _ lift up _ _ on the tank top. Kara nodded and  _ _ lifted up _ _ the tank top just high enough for Lena to put the dots in place.  _ _ Lena had seen a prominent V going into the  _ _ waistline _ _ of her boxers, the line that must have been the start of her  _ _ abs _ _ was peeking  _ _ out from _ _ the tank to _ _ p. She also saw  _ _ starts to what must have been scars, and Lena would guess her company on them being deep and painful from the way they scarred.  _ _ Lena went to her back, watching the muscles ripple as they tensed and relaxed. She realized that Kara was nervous, what for? It was a question for later though, because as soon as Lena had the dots in place, Kara let go of the  _ _ garment _ _ and asked her  _ _ what she had to do.  _

_ It was simple, Kara would go  _ _ through _ _ the obstacle course wearing the sensors a couple times. Then once they had sufficient data, Kara would wear the  _ _ suit and try to see if she could complete it just as well. Then they would head to the nearest boxing gym and test it against a boxing match. Lena sat down and started her recording, making sure it all worked _ _ before nodding to Kara. _

Kara took off at a fast jog.  The  50 meters dash went by quick.  As she got to her first obstacle, she grabbed the bar and slid underneath the dips. As quick as she could, she  clambered up the first of the ladder sets, flipping her body over and grabbing it from the other side to lower herself down. Quickly, she  jumped over the  3-foot wall, only using one hand to  hoist her above it. Effortlessly, she  scaled over the second ladder and landed firmly .  Kara then hurriedly went up the stairs, counting each one in the back of her head as she touched the steps. At the top she turned around and came back down, making sure that each  stair was touched again. Coming back out, she weaved through the cones for a couple of turns. She made quick work of them and was thankful that she was coming up to her second wall. It was the 6-foot wall.  She made her quick run and easily did the muscle up to jump over it. Kara felt the slight breeze as she  landed. It felt nice. She quickly grabbed the  weights that  stimulated a body and carried it to the finish line.  She dropped the weights and wiped off her hands before heading back to Lena.

The CEO looked more pale than usual and she seemed to be crossing her legs. She could see a slight blush on her, but figured it was from the sun. She panted slightly as she set her hands on her hips.

“How was that?” She asked. Lena nodded and quickly pulled up the simulation. They ran through it a couple times more, and then Kara pulled on the suit. She quickly went through the obstacle course again, though she had  a hard time vaulti ng over the walls. The legs were slightly stiff, which made it rough to  maneuver . However, the fabric  seemed to be cool against her skin, and she wondered if in the winter it would stay warm. It felt nice, and she  definitely wouldn’t mind it. 

_ Lena gaped at the way Kara’s body moved. She could see her muscles flex at each obstacle, and it seemed that she was enjoying each moment. It  _ _ befuddled _ _ her, how could someone be so- dare she say it? She wanted to  _ _ ravage _ _ Kara in a way that  _ _ wasn’t _ _ legal... but she was her girlfriend, _ _ surely that aided legality.  _ _ Oh, _ _ screw legality- she could  _ _ ravage _ _ her if she wanted to. Thing  _ _ is, _ _ Kara had been  _ _ self-conscious about what was under her shirt. Even at night Lena had barely seen anything that  _ _ wasn’t _ _ her arms or her thighs. Something was underneath that shirt that Kara  _ _ didn’t _ _ want the world seeing, and despite r _ _ especting her boundaries, she  _ _ couldn’t _ _ help but wonder exactly what had happened and what was underneath.  _ _ She watched as Kara hoisted herself up the last wall a lot slower than before. She then watched as Kara exited the course and headed over to her. She schooled her wi _ _ ld  _ _ thoughts  _ _ away and focused on the task at hand.  _

_ “It needs more flexibility in the shoulders and the legs.  _ _ Its _ _ all good for sprinting fast and any movement that requires a straight body, but the moment I have to climb a wall or scale the ladder, it is stiff _ _ ” Kara explained. Lena nodded and typed while Kara crouched, as if trying to stretch out the fabric. Lena  _ _ tried her best not to wince. She had to remember its durability in times like this. She watched as Kara’s eyes lit with an idea.  _

_ “Lena! You have to take my picture on the wall with this suit before we go” Kara  _ _ spoke, _ _ and Lena let out a soft chuckle. She  _ _ didn’t _ _ have to  _ _ imagine _ _ the picture that would result. She could see a type of superhero photoshoot _ _ resulting from giving her this suit. She stood up and followed the  _ _ blonde _ _ to the tall wall and waited for her to perch at the top. She watched the  _ _ blonde _ _ shake out her curls and then turn her head back to Lena. _

_ She forced herself to remember to breathe  _ _ and take the shots.  _ _ God why did Kara have to look so good? Lena smiled at her as she took the pictures. Before long, Kara had hopped down and walked up to her. She pecked Lena on the cheek and  _ _ took a look _ _ at the pictures. She now knew why Lillian had taught her about restraint so often _ _. For it took  _ _ all of _ _ her strength and then some to not tear that suit off in the best ways possible just to run her tongue on those muscles. Instead they walked back to the cars together and made plans for that weekend. _ __

Kara was so late. Alex had texted her the Gym time and she had completely forgotten! She pulled up to the gym at 10:15 the day before her court summons . After a quick change out and a quick stretch, she found her sister by the weight station. Alex huffed.

“You know, I pay for this membership just so you can come with me. Which means  in order to get my money’s worth, I need you here to work out with me. Not coming in thirty minutes late.” Alex spoke, though Kara took it all with love. Kara picked out her weights and sat them in their position.

“Yeah I know. Sorry about that, I  busy .” 

“Kara” 

“Yes ? ”

“ Did you go see Lena ???”

“Do you actually want to know the answer to that?” Kara asked . She knew that her sister was a lovable dork, but since she  hadn’t met Lena yet, Alex was a little harsh about it. In truth, Kara had spent the morning making plans for their  weekend block party. She suspected that after the court date, it would be the best thing for relaxing.

“I was making plans for this weekend, which hopefully is when you will meet her” Kara spoke, looking over at her sister who nodded. 

“I am bringing Maggie and we will bring some beer, whiskey, and Maggie wants to bring Vegan  Ice cream ” The sisters shared a  shudder , neither liked the taste of it .  She knew that they would be teasing Maggie about it all afternoon and had a strong  inkling that Maggie would take it like a  champ . When she told Lena about the plans for the weekend, Lena had hinted to wearing more dressed down wear, which mean t something  along the lines of jeans with a  flannel . Her mind pictured how Lena looked all relaxed and suddenly she could imagine how she would look leaning against the porch with a beer in her hand while they all talked about really funky ways to pronounce words, or having  conversati ons with Winn who no doubt would be pleased that another friend was joining their smart team.  Imagining Lena relaxed with little to worry about did something to Kara for sure.  Kara felt the familiar strings of desire tug at her, willing her to run back to Lena and kiss her until she had her pinned against a wall. Her tongue seemed dry and deep down, she knew there was only one way to  quench the thirst. Still, she worried about the scars. Here with her sister, she  didn’t care about wearing just a sports bra, because no one dared to look closely at them while she out-lifted every man in there. Even if they did,  Alex would chuck them into the ground so hard that  they’d have to find a new gym. Briefly she wondered if it was wise to go and  put on her tank top. Nonetheless, she continued with a half lift.  Alex grunted as she picked up the heavier weight.  Kara was working on a Y-raise when Alex asked her something else.

“So, I saw that you h ad  an appointment with Kelly  yesterday. ”

“Alex-”

“Not snoopy, it was on your public calendar.” Alex defended. Shoot, Kara thought. She huffed slightly and went into her next set of weights. She would have to change that. Kara sighed as she picked up another set and decided to face the music.

“Yes I am.”

“Are things getting bad again?” Alex asked softly. Kara loved her sister; she was so thankful that Alex cared. But she had some things that she really needed to take care of. Her mind was racing as the world kept reminding her of her past. Things  weren’t bad, but they  weren’t amazing.  Of course, there was the matter of dating Lena...  That was amazing on its own.  However, she knew that it could get rough. S he had yet to tell Alex who Lena really was. That Lena was  a part of the Luthor family and that she was the sister to the man who had tortured her. She was dreading telling Alex, or anyone really. They just  wouldn’t understand. Especially with her past. They’d judge it on her last name instead of her for who she was. Sooner or later , she would have to tell her sister.  Though she would be lying if she said she  wasn’t dragging her feet. 

“No, but  I think a little check-up is always good. Besides, the appointments are still under my birth name. Anyone who is looking for me or an attachment to me will be looking for Zor-El. Not Danvers” Kara added, watching as Alex relaxed slightly. She had been diverted from the onslaught of protective caution that her sister was sure to tell her off for. Ever since Lex, they had been careful. Alex was the most protective of her, and thus always was ready to lecture her about caution or her lack thereof. The two finished their weights section and headed to the sparring ring. They silently wrapped their hands. 

Then Kara stood up and began bouncing on the balls of her feet. She watched her sister stand up, and then they started circling each other. After a few seconds of circling, the two moved in. Kara swung first.

“ So h ow  ** are ** things with Lena?” Alex asked between punches. The universe had a funny way of making coincidences. Alex threw the arm that was coming off and moved into the striking area of Kara’s vulnerable middle. 

“Amazing.” Kara smiled and dodged the punch coming back.  That was the truth, Kara had never felt so loved as she did with Lena. Though, she supposed that was getting ahead of herself. She  didn’t know if Lena really did love her.  She strutted to the side to mix things up. Then she stepped close again. 

“ She is coming this weekend, right? ” Alex  asked as she reached for Kara. Kara quickly dove back, she cleared her throat and moved back  in. 

“ Of course, she is ” Kara spoke, barely blocking her way out of a chokehold. 

“I can’t wait to meet her. She seems like an amazing person.” Alex spoke, slamming Kara to the ground. Kara lay there for a moment, her breath gone. With a guilty nod, she sat up and got to her feet. 

“There’s something I need to tell you before that happens though. Promise to be supportive?” Kara spoke. She dodged the punches coming and waited for an opportunity to  open up . She would rather get this over sooner than later. She knew her sister, and she knew that if her sister found out before Kara told her that she would be furious. 

“Sure... now what do you need to tell me?” Alex asked. Alex’s shoulders were hunched up and she seemed to be in the fighting daze. Kara backed up slightly, and with an internal wince, she let the truth fly. 

“She’s Lena Luthor” Kara told her. She watched as Alex dropped her hands at the same time Kara let a punch fly. It connected to Alex’s cheek and she  staggered back  with a dazed expression on her face. Kara  rushed to her sister  immediately , hoping that she  didn’t hurt her too bad. She steadied her sister before stepping back. 

“What?!” Alex almost screamed. Kara winced. She  kind of regretted it all. Alex  l ook ed  all around to make sure that no one else heard, she  roughly growled .

“Lena  ** Luthor ** is your girlfriend?!” Kara nodded with a frown.

“You said you’d be supportive!” Kara retorted, which made Alex walk away in frustration. Kara sighed, following her. 

“Come on Alex. I told you, she is  really nice . You said so yourself two seconds ago!” Kara was defending  Lena, because God knows how much hate she truly receives. However, in the time that they had spent together,  she had only seen the best of Lena. Alex stopped at the edge of the ring and sighed.

“Look,  Im worried about you Kara. See this from my eyes. You say you are going out with Lena, then you graduate  on the anniversary of Lex’s incarceration . Then not even two months later, you start seeing Kelly again, and I can’t help but feel l ike  it's all connected” Alex explained. Kara nodded and fiddled with the hand straps.

“I’ve always said that you need to be careful, and now more than ever. Do you know if  Lena knows?” Alex asked, Kara shook her head. 

“You’ll tell her when you’re ready then” Alex spoke softly, and with that Kara felt her sister wrap her arms around her in what must have been the sweatiest hug of her life. 

“ Let’s hit the showers and then take you shopping. I can’t believe that your arms are too tight for your suit” Alex spoke with a chuckle before they left to go  shower off. 

_ “Miss. Luthor” Eve spoke through the phone, her voice echoing through the  _ _ empty office. Lena sighed and pressed the button. _

_ “Yes Eve?”  _

_ “Agent L _ _ ane  _ _ is here for you.”  _

_ “Really?  _ _ She’s _ _ not supposed to be in  _ _ until Friday... Show her in please.” Lena felt her heart race, what happened? She looked up and painted on a smile as Lucy walked into the office.  _

_ “Agent Lane. I cannot say  _ _ I’m _ _ delighted to see you hear early. I also have several meetings that I simply must g _ _ et to. Might I ask the nature of your visit?” Lena asked politely. She watched as Lucy sauntered over and set the file down.  _

_ “Someone is requesting information on Lex again” _

_ “Again?” Lena asked with a brow  _ _ furrowed _ _.  _ _ “I don’t recall anyone requesting  _ _ information before now.” _

_ “That’s because it was before you sealed  _ _ all _ _ information about his current doings.  _ _ It  _ _ actually comes _ _ from the same therapist that would do weekly checks up until the week before you sealed his file.” Agent Lane spoke. Lena’s ears perked up at that. This therapist was dealing with someone who had dealt with Lex personally. It could have been _ _ \- still could be _ _ \-  _ _ the person that she is looking for.  _ _ The torture victim of Lex... was she crazy to think that it was  _ _ a good idea _ _ to do this?  _

_ “Invite her to our normal meeting, and the client too.  _ _ I'd _ _ feel much more comfortable about releasing this information if I know who is on the other end.” Lena instructed.  _

_ “If the client denies, then we make sure that an NDA is disclosed so that only those two are able to know. I  _ _ don’t _ _ want his name in the press again.” Lena instructed. She signed off on the f _ _ orm before writing down the contact information for a Kelly Olsen. She handed the file back to Lucy.  _

_ “He asked to see you again” Lucy spoke. Lena steeled herself and shook h _ _ er head. “No _ _ , and if you don’t mind, I would rather finish the update at our appointed time.” Lena looked up and stuck her hand out. Reluctantly Agent Lane shook it and took up the files. _

_ “Alright. Till Friday.”  _

_ “Till then Agent Lane.” Lena smiled professionally and then sat down on again. She waited until Lucy had gone before pulling up the contact for Kelly Olsen. It sounded familiar... She could feel the dots th _ _ ere and a connection forming just on the edge of her  _ _ conscious _ _. _ _ It was a murky connection though, it  _ _ wasn’t _ _ clear... not yet.  _

_ Instead she asked for Eve to call _ _ Malcom and Moira to set up a  _ _ checkup _ _ meeting. With her part of the Harun-El project running smoothly, she wanted to ensure that everything would be as smooth as possible on their end. _

_ ========================================================== _

_ Lena sat at her home office, the radio on and low.  _ _ Now that she had settled most of the house in, she could get back to the transitions she was making.  _ _ She was going over her files and making sure that everything was in place. _ _ That Sam and Andrea could take over her company with no bumps in the road _ _. _ __ _ T _ _ he radio  _ _ h _ _ ad a tech talk show  _ _ on, _ _ and it was nice to hear the normal things that were going on. She signed the contract with minimal flourish, taking comfort in the cloudy day outside. _ _ It matched her ever-so-darkening mood.  _

_ “ _ _ Let's _ _ talk about L-Corp for a minute. Now as we announced before the music break, L-Corp is officially getting rid of the Flex-o-suits that were designed for the Polic _ _ e Force. Some people say  _ _ its _ _ because of  _ _ a hidden _ __ _ faulty design, othe _ _ rs  _ _ s _ _ p _ _ ecul _ _ ate _ __ _ t _ _ he reason is much more personal. Kyle what do you think?” _

_ “ _ _ Honestly _ _ John,  _ _ I think that it _ _ is a shocking move. L-Corp  _ _ has made  _ _ such a large chunk _ __ _ of their profit from teaming up with the government and issuing these suits. They are saying goodbye to a large chunk of their funds _ _. T _ _ hough  _ _ I’m _ _ told our next caller may have the answer to why. What is your name caller?” _

_ “Felicity.” _

_ “Alright Felicity, why do you think that L-Corp is breaking their ties with this?” _

_ “John, if you look you can actually see that they are not only breaking ties with the  _ _ government, _ _ but they are selling the patent completely. Part of the  _ _ stipulation _ _ of these patents were that the working relationship with L-Corp and the Feds was to be  _ _ maintained _ _ by Lena Luthor herself. If we are _ _ seeing this, it is very logical to assume that Lena Luthor will be stepping away soon. We have noticed her absence already with regards to the Danvers incident” _

_ “For those of our listeners out there, the Danvers Incident  _ _ that occurred a couple weeks ago _ _ -” Lena shut off the radio, feeling pain awash in her wounds. She folded up the papers and stuck them into the envelope.  _ _ She would drop them off at the office when she went into town. With that, she stood up and headed to get ready.  _ _ Af _ _ ter all, it _ __ _ w _ _ a _ _ sn’t _ __ _ e _ _ very day _ _ that one announced the early retirement from your position. Lena Luthor- world  _ _ renounced _ _ CEO was retiring and only  _ _ her best friend knew.  _ _ As she crossed the living room to head up the stairs, a soft knock landed on the front door.  _

_ Then a moment later, Alex Danvers, Samantha Arias, and Andrea Rojas all stormed in. Alex lead the pack and as soon as she laid eyes on Lena, she could see the tips of her ears  _ _ turning _ _ red _ _. _

_ “You’re WHAT?!” Alex yelled loudly. “How could you?! That  _ _ wasn’t _ _ just your legacy it was  _ **_ hers _ ** _ too!” _

_ Lena winced and then sat down on the stairs. She watched as the three of them came up close and with a shak _ _ y hand she held out the envelope.  _

_ “It’s not that Alex... I  _ _ can’t _ _ step down and keep the patent... and your bosses  _ _ won’t _ _ let anyone else hold onto the patent _ _. If there was another way... I would _ _. Y _ _ ou of all people know that I would change our sit _ _ uation completely if I had the ability to.” _

_ Alex took the file and read it over, seeming less angry now.  _

_ “It’s because of me that we are in this situation anyway...” Lena whispered, gripping her opposite sides in a hug as she tried to hold herself together. She could see the  _ _ fresh scars on Alex’s knuckles _ _ , the cast on her arm, _ _ along with the almost faded black eye. She saw Sam’s lip, remembering how swollen it had been. She could feel her bruised ribs screaming in pr _ _ otest still, and her own hand was still stiff from  _ _ moving and... the other things that had happened.  _

_ “Alright well you better  _ _ go get _ _ changed so we can get this over with.” Andrea spoke solemnly as she stepped forward. Lena nodded and  _ _ stood up. She quickly changed into her black dress. The car ride to the park was silent. The sky seemed darker still as they all climbed out and headed to the  _ _ pod _ _ ium. She could see the news casters waiting  _ _ silently for her. She swallowed harshly and lightly clutched onto Sam and Alex for comfort. Together they walked up to the podium and  _ _ from there, left her to stand on the side of the stage. She cleared her throat and waited a moment. _

_ “Ladies and Gentlemen, I know you are all here because you want a progress report on Kara Danvers. We are all aware of the events that had taken place last year at this time. Kara has since  _ _ needed _ _ medical attention. I am sorry to say tha _ _ t I cannot announce her progress report at this time _ _.” Lena looked down, and for a moment she thought that she would lose h _ _ er com _ _ p _ _ osure. _ _ She  _ _ d _ _ id _ _ n’t _ _ kn _ _ ow if she coul _ _ d cont _ _ i _ _ nue... _ _ She  _ _ d _ _ id _ _ n’t _ _ kn _ _ ow if she could announce this. Still, she had to try... right _ _? With a gentle throat clear, she looked back up. _

_ “We stand here today because of the legacy that she built. Not by being a strong police officer, but her  _ _ everyday _ _ life. Kara has always shown me how ho _ _ pe is forever possible. She continues to show me with each passing day. The city has built this statue to remind us of love, and the heroic way that love can change a life. Whether it was just one life, or the lives of many _ _.  _ _ Kara’s smile has brightened the days of us all. It is my  _ _ great pleasure _ _ to announce that this statue is for Kara  _ _ Zor _ _ -El.” Lena smiled softly. The sad smiles of her closest friends let her know she was doing it right. She w _ _ as giving hope to the public.  _

_ “May we one day hear from her again...” Lena whispered as she looked up.  _

_ “I also come to bring you news on my company, L-Corp. _ _ Due to recent events, I am stepping away as L-Corp's CEO. I will remain as an adviso _ _ r _ _ for a few weeks while the transition occurs. It is my humble pleasure that I announce the new CEO and CFO. Samantha Arias, former CFO of L- _ _ Corp _ __ _ and Andrea Rojas, former CEO of Obsidian.” _

_ Lena  _ _ steppe _ _ d back and stood next to Alex. The unshed tears in her eyes  _ _ told Lena exactly what she needed to hear.  _

_ At least. To the public. Kara  _ _ hadn’t _ _ changed. At least to them... Kara Danvers stood a chance. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments give me life! Ive got the next one happily outlined, and the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place! Let me know what you guys are guessing?   
> Things to look forward to:  
> Next chapter we will get a deep look at what happened between Kara, Clark, and Lex.  
> We will get to see Lex and Lena's childhood in more depth.  
> Livewire goes to court!  
> Lex's update with Agent Lane, Lena, Kelly and... does Kara come?  
> The adult block party!- Kelly and Lena meet again.. Whaaaat?!  
> Dots start being connected by our too smart for her own good CEO. :)


	7. Chapter 7.5 Party Rock!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Court Case.  
> The Block Party.  
> A Singular revelation  
> And this is only half of the chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow its been too long since I've updated this! I apologize. Between School and Work there was just no time in the day! Alas, I have come back with a long chapter to be split in Two!

_ Lena sighed as she leafed through the files in her  _ _ extra room that she called the Basement _ _. The lack of flexibility in her suits was slightly disturbing, and she recalled her results from _ _ way back when. Before L-Corp she was able to  _ _ experiment with flexible fabrics _ _ just for the fun of it. The further back she went, the more hesitant she was to keep flipping through. She saw the letters from her mother, begging her to visit in prison.  _ _ Lena sucked her breath in as she saw the letters, plans, and pictures with Lex in them. Her heart ached. She pulled out the picture of her and her brother with bubbles on them. It was the first year of National City’s bubble run. They had sponsored it and  _ _ ran through it. The two were acting like little kids, and she remembered how Lex’s goatee had been stained for days after.  _

_ Shaking her head, she  _ _ placed the picture on the top of the filing cabinet and reached back in. After a few moments, she finally  _ _ pulled out the fabric folder and looked over it. With a smile she headed  _ _ back into her home office and began to draft up the plans f _ _ or the suit. _ __ _ She downed her second energy drink of the morning, cringing at the aftertaste. It was only 6:30 and yet she had seen the sun go down and was now about to watch it rise again. Her night had been sitting on the couch, catching up on  _ _ her guilty pleasure TV shows while she  _ _ messag _ _ ed _ _ Kara Danvers. The blonde had gone to the tailors the previous evening to sharpen up her suit.  _ _ During sips of wine, she had munched on Popcorn and chocolate _ _.  _ _ After a startling cliffhanger from Love Island, she brushed the crumbs  _ _ off _ _ her hands with her napkin, having felt the vibration of her phone. She suddenly felt thirsty as she looked at Kara in her light blue  _ _ suit with a brown tie to accentuate it.  _

**_ Lena: That’s your court suit?!? _ **

**_ Kara: Yes. Is this okay? Should I go with a dark red? _ **

**_ Lena: Oh, that is just fine, I think it looks more trustworthy than red. However, if you need to wear in that red one _ ** **_... you just let me know. _ **

**_ Kara: I just might _ ** **__ ** **_ 😉 _ **

_ Lena took a deep breath and took a healthy- or unhealthy- gulp of wine. She felt her phone buzz again and was greeted with Kara’s  _ _ body, this time in a suit that was both red and black at the same time. It was elegant, it was a three-piece suit, and it was making Lena uncharacteristically thirsty in a way that her body hadn _ _ ’t been used to before. Kara sent a follow-up message which showed her  _ _ in an extreme lunge reaching for her phone. She could see the laugh on her lips and from the way that she was positioned, it looked as though Alex had stolen her ph _ _ one while she was mid pose. She laughed before shooting a reply. _

**_ Lena: That looks extremely flexible, I wonder if it would be plausible to study the dexterity of those pants without utterly destroying them. _ **

**_ Kara: Who knew that my suit would inspire you to start talking about your Flex-Oh-Suits! Here I was thinking  _ ** **_ I would hear something hear something else from you! _ **

**_ Lena: _ ** **__ ** **_ Flex-Oh-Suits? _ **

**__ ** **_ Kara: My nickname for your suits! After all, they are pretty flexible  _ ** **_ 😉 _ **

**_ Lena:  _ ** **_ Keeping your head filled with arduous thoughts about the gutter I see... _ **

**_ Kara: Always, but if you need to see these pants in person to get your next textile break-through, then by all means! _ **

_ The moon rose and then set _ _ while t _ _ hey  _ _ discussed _ __ _ Lena’s _ _ police  _ _ suits. She had taken Kara’s inputs to heart and changed what she needed in order to make sure that they could work. Though the more they tweaked things, the more Lena realized that it would never be a one size fits all suit.  _ _ It would be cheaper to set up a shop for the law enforcement to get their suits tailored. At _ _ this rate she wouldn’t be able to bring it to the public, ever.  _ _ She didn’t mind though, because with customizations, they could easily suit each person up and let the person choose how they looked.  _ _ With a spare thought, s _ _ he briefly wondered if she could call them SuperSuits without being punished with some copyright suits.  _ _ Sighing at the foolish notion, Lena _ _ put the finishing touches on the suit’s design. She would fabricate it over the weekend and then it would be ready for when they returned. _ _ Kara had agreed to coming  _ _ into _ _ L-Corp to try it on and wear it to the meeting with her investors, the government, and her engineers. Kara would show off the suit in an ob _ _ stacle course and then a sparring match with whomever she chose. _ _ If all went well, they could easily make this deal.  _ _ Lena sent the  _ _ updated  _ _ design off to her  _ _ engineering  _ _ team and then finished putting in the files to her HR team. They’d coordinate billing once the materials were purchased.  _

_ Lena noticed the time and moved to the couch so that she could listen to the trial whilst working. The Livewire trial had been interesting to listen to simply because the defense lawyer was a stumbling mess. Lena could  _ _ practically see the sweat on his brow through the radio. It made her wonder if the jury was really listening to his words. Surely, they already had their minds made up. She knew that she did.  _

_ “Prosecution calls Cat Grant to the stand” The strong voice of the prosecution spoke through the speakers. The news station couldn’t get a camera inside, only a microphone, so the world listened to the tri _ _ al, never once needing to look at the screen. Lena compiled multiple excel sheets together while listening to Cat’s retelling of the events. Starting before she had gone o _ _ ff rails. Cat depicted the arguments that she and Leslie had regarding redacted information. Lena tilted her head, the feed wasn’t live, but somehow it shocked her.  _ _ She could tell it was edited because of the awkward jump to the next question, and no further mention on the arguments. Then Cat was explaining the search and how it had been conducted. Her phone buzzed. _

**_ Kara: I’m next, wish me luck? _ **

**_ Lena: Best of luck darling _ **

**_ Kara: You’re listening right? _ **

**_ Lena: Of course,  _ **

_ Lena frowned as she heard Cat’s depiction  _ _ of the takedown. _

_ “ _ _ When Officer Danvers and I pulled up to the place where Leslie had insisted to meet, she had my son there. _

_ Where was this place at Miss. Grant? _

_ It was near the old factories. There was an old torn down bar where I had met Leslie many years ago on that street. The cross-roads are  _ Salutis _ street and  _ _ proditio _ _ road. The bar itself was on the corner of  _ _ Salutis _ _ and Oak st _ _ reet _ _.  _

_ May the record reflect that Miss. Grant’s testimony accurately reflects the location of the arrest of Leslie Willis. What happened when you and Officer Danvers pulled up? _

_ I walked to where I was instructed to, which was the middle of the street, Officer Danvers stayed back by the squad car. Leslie walked out from the empty shop  _ _ that is next to the old bar with Carter, my son, held against knifepoint. Carter was relea _ _ sed as soon as they reached the edge of the sidewalk. Miss Danvers took him to safety. _ _ ” _

_ Lena set down her pen. She listened with rapt attention.  _

_ “There was no imminent threat to your son then? _

_ No. There was no threat to him. _

_ Can you tell me what happened next? _

_ Yes. Leslie became hostile. I had no time to try to talk her down before she was  _ _ swinging a knife in the air.  _

_ And that is when Officer Danvers took the shot? _

_ That is correct. Kara Danvers had shot Leslie in the shoulder.” _

_ Knife? Lena tilted her head. That didn’t seem right. When Kara had shown her the footage, it had been light blue. It had looked like a taser to her.  _ _ It might be a miniscule detail, but unrest settled in her gut. She listened to the silence that came between the change of testimonies.  _

_ “The people  _ _ call Kara Danvers to the stand. _

_ Please place your hand on the bible _ _. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?  _

_ So, help me god” Lena could hear Kara mutter in affirmative. This would be interesting. _

Kara folded her hands on the desk as she looked to the lawyer. The whole court was  quiet, and the judge nodded to the lawyer. 

“State your name and spell the last for the record.”

“Kara Danvers, D-A-N-V-E-R-S.” Kara spoke, she could hear herself on the speakers that echoed around the room, and suddenly she wished she couldn’t. It wasn’t the first time appearing in court, and her brain was trying its hardest to avoid linking it to the Lex trial.  The link was there in the subconscious of her mind. Though Kara hadn’t testified in person, she still had done so. This was her first one since then, and it was going to take a miracle to walk away from this feeling normal.  Her heart pounded as the Lawyer asked the first question. Right, showtime. 

“Kara, could you walk me through the investigation of the Leslie case?”

She nodded,  relaxing. She could do this. She could work through the case. It was Leslie’s case. The Willis Case, as long as she repeated it, she could do this. She could do this... god she hoped.  Kara jumped into action,  recounting the briefing at the bulletin board. She explained the orders she had received and went into detail regarding their patrol. Kara moved to the  investigation of the torn down radio shack and the body inside of it. She mentioned the moniker that Leslie had given herself, and then went into detail about the calls that had occurred. When asked to Identify Leslie, she did by describing what she was wearing . 

“Could you tell us about the apprehension of Leslie Willis?”

“Ms. Grant and I had gotten a call from Leslie which gave us the location of where Leslie would bring Carter. Ms. Grant had ordered SWAT to surround the are a and block it off. Leslie allowed me to come with Cat in order to guarantee the safety of her son.”

By the time Kara had finished her testimony, she felt that she could use a case of the finest beer and a crappy tv show with her sister.  She watched the Defense  attorney stand up and she held her breath. The gentleman was balding, and she could see the shine from his sweat. The shirt under his blazer looked  soaked , she briefly felt sorry for the man.  He walked to the podium and rifled through his  notes. 

“So, you said that it was a Knife that Leslie was holding, correct?”

“Yes.” Kara spoke softly, her mind racing.

“Could you describe this knife?”

Kara swallowed slightly, she smiled and prayed that she knew what she was doing. Thankfully she had memorized the report, and she had heard Cat describ e it a few times before they got here. 

“It was a medium sized knife, blue on the top, the blade itself was black and etched with some type of design. The blade was sharp enough to be considered Lethal and it was an inch above the legal limit. The handle was some sort of dark wood .”

“You said that the top was blue?”

“Correct.” Kara looked at the lawyer, wondering where his challenge lay.

“And this is what the camera picked up then, the blue top of the knife”

“I would assume so, yes.”

“Well then why does it look like it’s a non-lethal taser?”

“I don’t know, perhaps you should call up an expert in Security Camera footage.” Kara quipped. She watched the sweaty man balk and knew that she had won this time. 

“Bu- But--” The lawyer repeated.

“Thank you for testifying Officer Danvers. Should we need you, we will summon you once more.” The judge concluded for the man who still couldn’t get past his first syllable. 

Kara nods and walks out the door. She attempts to seem confident and sure of her testimony. The whole thing was a mess. As soon as she left the court room, she winced. It felt as though she had been a part of a train wreck . There were many pieces of the puzzle that hadn't fallen in place. It was a child’s puzzle at best, and the whole case could  fall to pieces if only they picked a little harder. If anything, the whole confrontation lacked the finesse that usually came with these things. No one felt relaxed, they just felt as though they had missed something.  Everyone felt it. The only one able to feel calm was Cat, and maybe that was because she knew the most about the case.  Still, she had felt confident enough to finish this day. As Kara passed the bathrooms, she fished out her phone and her earbuds, and with a few clicks, she caught the last of her own testimony. 

“The prosecution rests your honor.” She heard shifting and a sigh from the judge.

“Very well, will the defense call their first witness?”

There was a long pause. Kara stopped, she stood next to the other witnesses of the case, all who were now able to listen to it as it occurred. Her eyes met the  forensic officer’s named Ella, and they shared a nervous smile. 

“Uh, I- Uhm...” Kara could barely hear the edge of a whisper, and that was with her freakishly good hearing. She doubted that anyone else could hear that. 

“Are you sure? ” The lawyer whispered, and after a few more moments, the sound of a chair shifting filled the silence. Then the sweaty man cleared his throat.

“The defendant wishes to change her plea.” Kara’s eyes widened. Could she do that? After everything that had happened...

“Very well. The courts of National City thank the jury for their time. You are dismissed from this case. Let the record re flect that the defendant has chosen to revoke their rights to a trial by jury. Let the record also reflect that at this time, the defendant has  changed their plea to guilty. At this time, the court will adjourn and prepare for the sentencing phase.”

“All rise for the honorable judge John Diggle.”

The audio ended moments later, and Kara found herself staring into many eyes of confused people. What the hell? She  took the elevator down and found her sister’s car right outside the court’s side entrance. Kara quickly ducked in, thankful that Alex had brought their shared car than the bike. 

“Seriously, what the fuck.” Alex cursed as they pulled out. Kara grabbed the ‘ O-Shit’ handle and held on tight as Alex merged onto the highway. Kara knew where they were going, and  based on the speed, she could assume that they’d be pulling up to Rao’s within the hour. 

“I don’t know” Kara muttered, feeling her stomach clench and her blood chill.  She felt afraid, and she didn’t know why.

“It feels like someone is writing and they are attempting to cover up so many plot holes, you know?” Alex asked, dipping in and out of traffic. 

“Like a child’s painting, or a puzzle that looks done but really isn’t” Kara agreed. She closed her eyes and focused on the  smooth motions of the car. The court case had been hectic and nothing that  she could use to explain it made sense. Why go through the whole thin g just to dismiss it? Was it her testimony? Was Kara reading into this too much? Kara couldn’t see reality from conspiracy theory. She couldn’t see the separation from  a  tin foil hat and a regular one. Not when it came to this case. Kara rubbed her temples and focused on the skyline. 

As soon as they pulled up next to the building of Rao’s, Kara felt her migraine coming. She noticed that the place was shut down and then looked to Alex. Her sister just shrugged with a half-hidden smile. 

“I figured it should just be a sister night.” Kara smiled at her and nodded. She unlocked the doors using her key and disabled the Alarm. After washing her hands, she pulled out the flower, the eggs, and the bowls. Then with a second tho ught, she set her suit jacket on the hook and grabbed an extra bowl for Alex. The two settled in to making some pasta from scratch while they talked about the things bothering them. 

“I just don’t understand what the whole point of that was” Kara muttered, using a fork to fold the batter “Why go through all that if she was just going to plead guilty anyway?”

“I mean, no matter what, everyone will know who she is and what she did” Alex muttered, kneading her dough. 

“What do you mean?” Kara asked, stilling her hand. 

“All the news stations broadcasted that ” Alex explained. Kara bit her lip, she wondered if Iron Heights had that on. Did they listen to the trials ? Or was that shunned? Kara fed their dough through the pasta machine, focusing closely on the work she could do with her hands. At least she had the opportunity to  control this...

_ After the mess of the trial, Kara had gone dark. She hadn’ _ _ t _ __ _ been able to text the blonde, but a conformation from her sister said that they were at Rao’s and that she had taken over the kitchen. Lena assumed that it was because Kara had worked there before _ _. _ _ She also assumed that this would be Kara’s  _ _ way to relax. _ __ _ So, _ _ Lena had focused on her evening, making sure that everything had been prepared for the morning. Both Agent Lane and Doctor Olsen had confirmed the _ _ ir  _ _ schedules and would be able to make it. As Lena finished pressing her slacks, she wondered who Ms. Olsen was  _ _ going to be giving the information to. _ _ She wondered if the patient would be there tomorrow morning. Lena felt the knot in her stomach twist cruelly as she remembered exactly why this was  _ _ occurring _ _ in the first p _ _ lace. _ _ Perhaps the mysterious patient hated her. Hated everything that Lena stood for. _ __ _ As the night turned, and Lena crawled between her satin sheets, she wondered if Kara was okay.  _

_ She rose early the next morning and took a hot shower, scalding the nerve endings. It was her mental prep  _ _ so that she could  _ _ get through the day mentally unscathed. If she couldn’t feel anything, maybe the pain of seeing her brother locked away would be dull. With a sigh, she dressed in her outfit, making sure that her hair was immaculate and  _ _ that nothing was out of its place.  _

_ She walked into her kitchen to grab her _ _ coffee _ _ mug before heading out the door. The elevator ride to her car was  _ _ filled with silence. _ _ She stood there and fiddled with her fingertips as she felt the day grow dar _ _ k and sullen. Her driver had picked her up and made way with unfortunately no interruptions.  _

_ As Lena walked upstairs to her office, she  _ _ noticed the air around her was tense. Her employees dove into their desks, and the morning chatter came to a dead stop  _ _ as she passed. The water cooler was vacant, and void of its usual humans. Lena strode confidently past Jess, who seemed to grow quieter than  _ _ usual. No one met her eyes. No one, except perhaps the one person who she was most an _ _ xious to see. She met the dark brown eyes of Lucy Lane _ _ in her military suit. With an inward sigh, she strode into the office and pasted on her most professional smile.  _

_ “Good Morning Agent Lane.” Lena greeted. She set down her purse, laptop bag, and her mug before returning her attention to the agent.  _ _ She watched as the agent bowed her head in acknowledgement before returning her attention to the matters at hand.  _

_ “Doctor Olsen is in the conference room,” Jess spoke as she peeked her head in. _

_ “Then I recommend we don’t delay.” Lena responded with a nod. The two left the office and went into their usual conference room. The lights were alread _ _ y  _ _ dimmed, _ _ and the screen was already set up. All that was left was to pull up the file that Lane kept all of Lex’s actions  _ _ inside. Lena greeted the doctor with a smile and a warm  _ _ handshake _ _.  _

_ “Nice to meet you in person Doctor Olsen.”  _

_ “Please, call me Kelly Ms. Luthor” the doctor spoke with a warm smile that seemed to radiate acceptance and kindness. _

_ “Alright Kelly, _ _ would you like a coffee? I can have my assistant run out and get you one” Lena offered with a smile. Kelly politely cleared her throat. _

_ “I would love one. A simple black would be just fine” _

_ “And you Major Lane?” _

_ “A tea please” _

_ Lena nodded before having Eve run to Noonan's to get their coffee order. She watched as Lucy pulled up the files. _ _ She clicked on the play button and the time-lapse of Lex’s previous week played before them. _ _ She kept an eye on the screen, cataloging the movements on the chess board. Instead of continuing with his pattern, he had matched the one she played with her mother a few weeks back. Not only had he matched her move, but he had given her a counter move. A pawn at the feet of the  _ _ Queen. She frowned and made mental notes to update her home board. She watched as he read his books, drew on paper with chalk, and as he made little to no contact with others during mealtimes.  _ _ Lena bit back a sigh and glanced over at Kelly, who was in deep concentration. She seemed to be soaking up every tiny detail, as if that would be able to soothe all her problems.  _ _ Not her problems, rather her Client’s. Lena listened as agent Lane _ _ went over the small details, the requests that he made, and before she knew it, the lights had come on and the video clip was over. _

_ “I do hope that this helped” Lena spoke softly to Kelly. She watched the therapist nod and give a small smile.  _

_ “I am sure you understand why my client couldn’t come herself, but this was very helpful. I can only hope that this  _ _ encourages her to have faith in the positive changes that are happening.” Kelly spoke as she packed her notes up. Lena nodded and held open the door for Kelly. _

_ “Kara!” Kelly spoke in surprise and Lena whipped her head around just a tad too unprofessional. There stood Kara Danvers in all her glory. She stood there with a shy smile  _ _ clad in the sweater that Lena had gotten her along with those sinful dark slacks. Lena sputtered momentarily as she realized  _ _ that Kelly knew Kara.  _

_ “Kara, what a surprise! I wasn’t expecting you until later” _

_ “ _ _ Yeah... _ _ I just thought we could do brunch.  _ _ Of course, _ _ I forgot to check and now here we are!” Kara spoke with a chuckle, and true to her word, she had a bag of what smelled deliciously greasy. Lena licked her lips at the thought.  _

_ “ _ _ Of course, I just  _ _ must _ _ finish this meeting with Agent Lane-” Lena looked to where Lucy stood, tapping her foot impatiently- “if you don’t mind waiting?”  _ _ She looked back to Kara who nodded and smiled. _

_ “No problem! I’ll see Kelly out for ya,” Kara spoke before heading over to greet the therapist. Lena filed this moment  _ _ away; _ _ it was something that  _ _ she would need to ask later. Right  _ _ now, _ _ though, she headed to  _ _ her office. With a professional smile plastered on her face, she pulled up her calendar.  _

_ “Right, so when should we do the next session?” she looked up at Lucy, finding that the usual professional _ _ smile was gone, instead a smug smirk on the agent’s face.  _

_ “Lena Luthor has a girlfriend who brings her Greasy food” Lucy stated. With how long they have been mutual  _ _ acquaintances _ _ , Lena is surprised that it took a surprise from Kara to crack their professional stances.  _ _ Instead of adding to the fire, Lena cleared her throat. _

_ “Agent Lane?”  _

_ “Right. _ _ Two weeks out, on Friday is the next best time for me.” _

_ “That works for me as well,” Lena pens in the time and day for Jess to pen in the date.  _

_ “I’ll take that to Jess for you,” Lucy offers, and with a small wink she adds, “So that you can get your breakfast a bit quicker” _

_ Lena blanches at the thoughts before clearing her throat and walking Lucy to the door. As she opens it, she sees Kara walk back out of the elevator, a small crinkle on her forehead right between her eyebrows. Her lip is caught between her teeth and _ _ she looks as though she is heavy in thought. It had only been a few minutes since she had seen her all sunny and bright. What could have possibly changed her demeanor that quick? Lena meets Kara and walks with her to her office once  _ _ more. Kara’s personality shift doesn’t snap back as quick as she would have hoped, even after a few jokes and teases were passed between one another.  _ _ Kara’s laughs were missing the mirth in her eyes and the crinkle around her eyes.  _

_ “I have everything sorted away for the block party tomorrow. I called Eliza today and she’s got the house  _ _ all ready _ _ for us _ _.” _

_ “Remind me why your mother  _ _ won't _ _ be there,” Lena prompted. They had talked about this house party and after expressing concerns about meeting Kara’s mother _ _. Kara had, in turn, reassured Lena that the woman  _ _ in question would be absent from the house this weekend.  _

_ “She is going to be at a conference somewhere in Europe until next week” Kara reminded her between her  _ _ normal mouthfuls of food. Lena nodded,  _ _ recalling that her mother was also a scientist. _ _ Eliza _ _ was  _ _ at the convention that Lena herself had to decline _ _. The Japanese meeting that was happening next Wednesday couldn’t be re-scheduled again, and they were insistent on flying here. So here she remained. Even if Lena had made it to the conventio _ _ n, there was no way she would be back in time for the meeting. Instead she was doing a block party in the small town of Midvale with half a mind to bring her laptop along. She watched as  _ _ Kara tucked her phone away, a slight frown on her face. _

_ “Is everything alright dear?” Lena asked softly, reaching to take Kara’s hand in a comforting way. She watched Kara nod.  _

_ “Yeah, that was a text from Snapper. He wants my report on yesterday’s bust before I leave for the weekend” Kara s _ _ oftly sighed, a half _ _ - _ _ smile on her face.  _ _ Lena echoed that smile as her phone rang. _

_ “ _ _ Work calls” Lena spoke in a bittersweet tone. Kara gave her an understanding smile before heading to the door, taking their trash with her. “I’ll pick you up tonight?”  _

_ “See you tonight” Lena smiled before picking up her phone. _

Kara left the office, fumbling for her phone as she quickly re-read Kelly’s messages.

** Kelly: Kara, come by the office, let’s talk.  **

** I hope you understand why I didn’t say anything to you at L-corp. **

** Kara:  ** ** I'll ** ** be right over **

Kara did have a report to write, she  hadn't lied to Lena about that, but the report was almost finished, she  just had to finish editing it before sending it to Snapper.  Putting on her helmet, Kara quickly revved her motorcycle to life before peeling onto National City’s streets. In a short amount of time, she found herself in front of Kelly’s office. She found her anxiety quickly rising with each step  that she took. By the time that Kara sat in Kelly’s office, breathing was a conscious struggle.  She sat on the couch of Kelly’s waiting area and tried to recite calming affirmations to remind her that she was okay. 

Kelly walked out of her office and met Kara’s eyes with a glance. Kara’s feet started moving on their own and she could feel fear pushing her cognitive thoughts away from her. 

“Come back to me Kara” Kelly spoke calmly, and Kara latched onto the words that were being spoken. She swallowed thickly before nodding. Kelly handed her the same pillow with a frayed edge, allowing Kara to fiddle with the threads. It w as a smart tactic really, because it forced her thoughts away from their peculiar edge and allowed her to feel laxer. 

“Lex is still in prison. I saw it with my own eyes” Kelly spoke softly, Kara nodded slightly. “Lena has cameras on him at all time,  He stays in his cell for the most part. Holed up with books and a chess board” Kelly explained. Kara felt her breathing normalize slightly, but she didn’t feel any better. 

“Maybe this is a mistake...” Kara muttered softly as she focused on the lengths of the thread. She didn’t want to look anywhere else at this moment. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Maybe I shouldn’t be dating Lena... not if this is  going to make me revert...” 

“Do you feel like you’re reverting?” Kelly asked calmly.  Kara didn’t understand it. How was Kelly always so calm? Even when Kara was on her wit’s end, Kelly had always been calm.  With a frustrated sigh Kara nodded slightly.

“I might be... I mean, I don’t know I guess” Kara admitted, she dropped the pillow and stood up. She walked over to the bookshelf and then paced to the door. 

“I'm worried that I am”

“Kara, I don’t think you are. I think that you are moving in a new direction. In my professional opinion, I believe you are growing Kara” 

Kara looked at Kelly with wide eyes. How could she think that?! It had been so long since she had a panic attack and now here, she was having something along those lines for the second time in as many weeks.  Kara felt herself losing touch with reality again. She sunk to the carpet and  buried her head in her hands. In that moment, Breathing hurt. She felt on edge,  someone was going to attack her, kidnap her, something. 

Around her, she heard Kelly’s footsteps cross the room. She heard a button press and then a soft sigh entered the room. A gentle hum followed, and soon Kara recognized the soft tones of the Wailin’ Jennys.

** Everything’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna be okay.  ** The Wailin’ Jennys songs were soothing enough to calm her breaths. Kelly walked over to her and sat next to her, leaning against the bookshelf and  closing her eyes. Sometimes she hated Clark for what he brought her into. Sometimes she loved him for it. Today was a day that she hated him.  People always thought that it was Lex who she should hate, but she couldn’t find it in her to do it. Sure, she was terrified of him, she knew what he was capable of, but in her mind, it wasn’t Lex that had chosen to  bring her along. It wasn’t Lex that had been a little bit neglectful in their time together. Clark had always been her hero, the one that she looked up to. It wasn’t Lex’s fault that the image had been crushed. Clark had done it himself.  They had been closer before her parents died, and when they did, he had grown distant from them. Now she was utterly alone. The last of her family and that alone was enough to make her weary. 

Once her breathing was under control, she stood up and helped Kelly stand. 

“It is okay to be scared of who you are becoming Kara...” Kelly spoke, looking into her eyes. Kara felt uncomfortable and shifted slightly.

“You are growing, and that is okay. You are moving on, don’t forget that” Kelly reminded her, and Kara nodded. Her next client knocked on the door and Kelly moved to transition. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow” Kelly said with a smile before showing Kara out. Kara waved before heading out the door. 

Feeling like she had some grip on reality, Kara quickly headed to the office to file her last report before ducking out. She promised Maggie that she’d see her at the block party tomorrow before  sneaking past Snapper’s closed door. As she made it out, she made her way to the store, grabbing enough ingredients for her recipe and headed to her home. There she had  all her luggage packed, which was mostly just food, and enough clothes to last until they came home Sunday night. 

_ Lena shut down her computer a quarter after five. She knew that downstairs somewhere was Kara waiting for  _ _ her. _ _ They had to go to her ap _ _ artment before they left, but then it was okay for her to just be Lena. Not CEO Lena Luthor, or the white sheep of the Luthor’s. With Kara it was just Lena, it always had been, since day one. _ _ Lena smiled as she grabbed her lunch tote and walked to the elevator. As she left, she bade goodbye to some of the people that were still working. As she stepped out into the parking garage, Lena saw Kara _ _ standing there with a smile.  _

_ “Ready?” Kara asked as she took Lena’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.  _ _ Lena looked to where Kara’s rental car was and chuckled at the sight. Kara had managed to get a Jeep truck as a _ _ rental, which Lena doubted they’d truly be using for its intended purpose. Still, it would get them from A to B. She sat in the passenger seat and watched as Kara climbed in the driver _ _ ’s seat. They drove to Lena’s apartment and then headed upstairs. She had already packed, but she needed a change of clothes because there was no way in hell that she was sitting through a road trip wearing her stilettos and her  _ _ Calvin _ __ _ Klein _ _ dress.  _ _ She opted for her nice jeans and a sweater. Kara was someone who always drove with the AC on if they were in a car. Rather than worrying about the chill, she was dressing warm. _ _ Lena turned off the lights and locked her door before heading down and meeting Kara next to the truck. Together they set out onto the highway with the lights shining.  _

_ As they officially left the city, Kara turned on the CD player, letting some music play softly. It wasn’t the usual 90’s music that she had associated with Kara. No, she had definitely heard the  _ _ tell-tale _ _ si _ _ gns of a banjo in the background, and a fiddle too?  _ _ She looked over to Kara and didn’t have the heart to question it. Kara was smiling at the song, smiling like there wasn’t anything wrong with the world. It was a smile that Lena had only seen once or twice. Ka _ _ ra always smiled, but ther _ _ e was always something that was weighing it down, and until she had seen the carefree one, she hadn't noticed how her normal smiles were just slightly off.  _ _ Lena settled on a smile and gently placing her hand on Kara’s thigh, just to reassure her that everything was going good. Kara’s smile only grew.  _

_ As the light dimmed, and the night grew, Lena felt the cold starting to get to her. She  _ _ stifled _ _ a few yawns with the back of her hand as she tried to watch the distant waves. They were on the same costal highway that lead to Rao’s and Lena smiled at the memories that they had  _ _ going there.  _ _ At some point, she raised the middle between them and scooted into the middle seat, just so that she could be closer to Kara. Kara had given her a knowing smile before pulling out a blanket from the back.  _ _ The blanket was heavy, and Lena found her eyes drooping without another second to pass.  _

Kara hummed to the CD that Kelly had lent her. It made things easier to breathe. Thankfully, Lena hadn’t questioned it, but she still felt bad about keeping her  mental state from the woman. Surely Lena could guess, but Kara wasn’t ready for that talk. There was still so much that they didn’t know about each other. Though they had been together going on three months, it was still oh - so - new, and she didn’t want to seem like a burden. Nor did she want the pity looks that always came... no, Kara would hide them until a better time arose. Instead she drove down the highway, watching as Rao’s came and went, listening to the sounds of the waves, the soft music, and the  tiny sighs that came from Lena’s sleeping figure. 

Halfway into the drive, Kara pulled into a parking lot along the beach side and parked the truck. Lena had retreated to the window in her sleep, taking the blanket with her, she assumed that it was comfier than Kara’s shoulder. Quietly she pulled the key fob off and left the truck running for Lena. She hopped down and locked the door behind her before taking a quick walk to the public restroom. There  were no stops on this highway other than the beach. Kara always loved to stretch her legs here , both going home and back to the city.  As she was heading back to the truck, she noticed that Lena was sitting on the hood of the truck, blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She also noticed with a skipping heart, that Lena’s hair was messed up from sleep, and the woman looked exhausted  in a way that Kara absolutely adored. 

“Hey you,” Kara muttered with a smile, 

“Hey yourself,” Lena replied in full Irish lilt. Kara smiled wider and hopped on the top of the hood with Lena. 

“Bathroom break?”

“Mhmm” Kara leaned back against the windshield and opened her arms for Lena to join her. Lena happily joined her.

“You know, this is nice. How long have we been on the road?” Lena asked, stifling another yawn.

“An hour and a half ” Kara responded with her own yawn.

“Are you going to be okay to drive the rest of the way?” Lena inquired as she sat up. She looked at Kara and Kara’s breath was stolen.  Lena was looking down at her, and her eyes were illuminated by the stars. The night made her glow, as if she were Nyx. Kara nodded with a small shift, feeling her body thrum with  giddy anticipation.  Lena slid off the hood. She handed Kara the blanket and the key. Then she smiled as she tucked one side of her hair behind her ear.

“I am going to use the restroom before we head out again” Lena spoke with a smirk before walking away, a slight sway to her hips. Kara chuckled and leaned back again, looking at the stars. She thought about what she was going to be doing, and she wonder ed briefly if it was a good idea. Kara sat up and  climbed back in. She  started the car back up , warming up the car before Lena got in. With a content hum, Lena joined her and snuggled up into Kara’s side. 

The rest of the drive was just as uneventful as the first. Lena would drift in and out of sleep and when she was awake, they’d talk about something simple, if at all. As Kara pulled into Midvale, she  gently woke Lena up. 

_ Lena woke up with a gentle squeeze to her arm and her name being softly called. As she blinked away the last of her sleep, she noticed that they were driving through a small town. Lena was no stranger to small towns, but this one seemed to be  _ _ quainter than any other. With only stop signs to mark the intersections _ _ , the night sky was vivid here. The shopfronts ranged from cabin style to western style buildings. Each of them had something unique about them.  _ _ Kara drove them to the edge of the town and turned towards the ocean. They drove for a few more minutes before pulling into a high driveway that docked to a large house. Kara parked the car, making sure the emergency br _ _ ake was also on before taking her foot off. The Jeep didn’t rock back as far as Lena had expected with the driveway incline. Kara smiled at her before getting out and helping her down. She handed Lena the keys before heading to grab  _ _ their bags, leaving Lena to open the house up.  _ _ Lena walked up the driveway to the  _ _ front door. She unlocked the screen door first, then the main door. As she opened the doors, a waft of cinnamon hit  _ _ her, _ _ and Lena found herself smiling. She turned back and saw Kara walking up with their bags.  _

_ “Do you need help dear?”  _

_ “Ive got it on my end, lets head in!” Kara spoke enthusiastically as she lugged the bags through the threshold and set them down in the living room.  _ _ Lena quickly grabbed her duffel and the other bag that wasn’t food.  _ _ Kara  _ _ turned on the dim lights in the kitchen _ _ , setting the food bags down on the counter, _ _ and then showed Lena upstairs to her room. Lena looked around Kara’s childhood room, decorated with paintings, books, CD’s, some posters, and a few _ _ Da Vinci models. With a smile, she crossed over to one of the bookshelves. On the top shelf was LOTR, Narnia, and a newer edition of Game of Thrones. Lena chuckled and shook her head. She  _ _ set  _ _ her bag down on the small reading nook next to one of the tall windows in the room. She quickly unpacked some of the clothes that she needed to hang up before heading back downstairs to help Kara unpack the kitchen.  _

_ All around the house were _ _ pictures of the family at different stages in their lives. Kara as a teenager in her reading nook. Alex at the age of 6  _ _ with a baseball bat in hand. The family picture featuring an older woman who Lena assumes is Eliza as they crowd under an umbrella at the beach. In the kitchen, there are quote _ _ pictures that have something or another to do with cooking. Lena finds it endearing. In the corner, almost hidden by the cabinets is a small picture of Kara, older than the other picture, but still young,  _ _ in a kitchen with an older gentleman wearing glasses. Lena knew that face. That face _ _ was attached to a name that haunted Lena. It was Clark Kent, or at least, it could be. The lights were too dim for her to make it out clearly.  _

_ Lena helped put the cold food in the fridge before they headed up to the room. Lena changed into her sil _ _ k pajamas and turned around to see Kara in a  _ _ tank top and flannel shorts. Kara took off her glasses and set them on the nightstand next to her.  _ _ Lena got under the covers and scooted into Kara’s waiting arms.  _

_ “Kara,” Lena started. She wanted to have an answer. Why was there a picture o _ _ f Clark in her kitchen? She looked up to find Kara’s eyes shut, and with a smile, she noticed how close to sleep the blonde was. _

_ “Sleep well...” she whispered, giving the woman a light kiss before closing her eyes. She finally felt relaxed enough to fully sleep. _

Kara woke up before the sun did, knowing that her body wouldn’t let her go to sleep if she tried. Looking down, she smiled at the sight of Lena asleep. The woman was draped across her and Kara had tangled herself with  Lena .  Quietly and carefully, she detangled herself and got up for the day. She grabbed her clothes and snuck into the other bathroom, making sure the door was shut before she changed into her workout clothes. Kara did a quick sweep downstairs, noticing that it was only 5. 

She headed to the basement where she did 30 minutes of lifting weights and pushing her body around before heading outside to do a run with the sunrise. As she had always done, Kara started from her house and ran all the way up to the bakery . She grabbed breakfast from the owner who was delighted to see her again, and then ran back home. She stopped by the florist and grabbed a couple of flowers to give to Lena before sneaking back inside. She put the flowers in a small  vase and put those on  the nightstand. Kara then headed downstairs, making sure that any and everything that could tie her to Clark was gone. She only found one picture in the  kitchen; it had been the photo that was taken for the local newspapers. They had been marketing Rao’s when it first open ed. Kara smiled at the bittersweet memory before taking the picture down to the basement and putting it in the same pile as all the others. Then she headed back up and started a pot of coffee. 

As Kara walked back upstairs to change into her day clothes, she found Lena groggily sitting up and rubbing her face. 

“I smell coffee”  Lena spoke in her gruff voice. Kara nodded and leaned into the bed, giving Lena a kiss on the cheek. 

“Downstairs babe,” Kara whispered into Lena’s ear. She watched Lena shiver slightly before  nodding. Kara walked into their bathroom and turned on the shower, letting it warm slightly before stripping down and hopping in. She heard Lena walk in and acknowledged her with a soft hum.

_ Lena walked into the bathroom, heading to the sink to brush her teeth, she  _ _ then changed into something a bit more refreshing, deciding on a pair of jeans with a sleeveless flannel. Lena grabbed her glasses, foregoing her contacts before heading downstairs to grab a cup of coffee. _

_ As she walked down the stairs, she noticed that there was a tray of breakfast foods that were on the table, they hadn’t been there the night before, so Lena could assume that Kara had gone for her morning run. Lena grabbed a science mug from the  _ _ cupboard and poured herself a cup of coffee into it. She munched on a croissant as she took in the well-lit kitchen. It looked more homely during the day, and Lena could see herself and Kara cooking together in a kitchen like this.  _ _ She smiled at the thoughts before another thought interrupted all others. _

_ The picture from last night. _

_ Lena walked over to the corner of the kitchen and looked at the wall. The picture was gone. More to her slight confusion, the nail was gone too, but there was a small hole there, and there was a slight difference in the  _ _ color around where a picture should be and where it shouldn’t. Why would Kara take down a  _ _ picture? _ __ _ Was  _ _ it _ _ Clark in the picture? What was she hiding? _ _ Lena picked up another croissant before heading around the house. She noticed that some places had pictures missing, if only because it felt off. There was a spot for a picture in the middle of the others that was missing. To the untrained eye, it wouldn’t be  _ _ noticeable _ _. Lena _ _ ’s eye was very, very trained.  _ _ Kara came downstairs in that moment and Lena gave her a smile.  _

_ “G’morning babe!” Kara said brightly, her still wet hair flinging about as she bounded over in jeans and a white shirt. Lena chuckled and kissed her cheek.  _

_ “Good morning. I was just looking at your pictures! You were an adorable kid” Lena looked at her girlfriend and gave her a wink. _

_ “Now? Eh” _

_ “Eh?!” Kara raised her eyebrow and Lena let out a soft chuckle.  _

_ “Yes, just eh” Lena watched as the challenge sparked something in Kara, who just grinned and kissed her. _

_ “ _ _ Mmmmaybe _ _ more than just eh” Lena admonished as she set down her coffee to run her hands over Kara’s arms. Kara just smirked and pulled Lena in for a hug. Kara kissed her head before heading to the kitchen. Lena picked up her mug and followed her into it. She took a seat at the kitchen island and watched as Kara poured herself a cup of coffee and helped herself to a doughnut. With a smile, she turned around and began pulling out  _ _ some of the other food.  _

_ “What are you going to make?” Lena asked, standing up and abandoning her breakfast to help. _

_ “Lasagna!” Kara spoke with a smile.  _

_ “How can I help?” Lena asked, mirroring that smile that she loved.  _

_ “Will you boil the noodles?” Kara was pulling out a cutting board. Lena and Kara had both found their strengths in cooking. Lena was great with salads and cooking  _ _ any other dinner style _ _. Kara was amazing at desserts and  _ _ Italian food _ _.  _ _ They made every dinner they could together. It was worth it, and they had settled into a cooking routine. Whomever was making the main dish would ask for the other’s help with simple things while they prepped the dish. It turns out, Kara’s idea of cooking Lasa _ _ gna included 4 different kinds. One was a classic style with a hint of red pepper flakes for a kick. One was heavily saturated with meat. One was completely vegan, and another was simply dairy free. They put in two lasagnas at a time in the oven and Kara  _ _ went over who liked what. _

_ “James, Winn, and Sara all love the classic kind. Maggie loves vegan, sometimes Sara joins her, sometimes its Laurel. Alex will either choose the mea _ _ ts or the dairy free one. Personally, I love them all, and then you can choose any you think you'll love” Kara stated with a smile. Lena gaped and Kara  _ _ chuckled. There was always left-overs, and apparently there was some sort of drawing they all entered to see who would pick first on what they were going to be bringing home.  _

_ Then Kara showed her the basement and had her help bring the tables outside and lay them in the lawn. Eliza’s house was one of the last in the road, so it was easy to plan the block parties to center around here. _ _ At least that’s what she had been told. She watched as Kara set up the traffic cones that deterred anyone from driving there and then began setting up the tables. They were lining the sidewalk and would house all the foods. Kara opened the gar _ _ age and pulled out the cooler. Lena quickly grabbed one of the 2lb bags of ice and poured it inside, stocking the non-alcoholic drinks into the cooler. Then they both dragged it to the side of the picnic tabl _ _ es. Lena set the plates out, put the napkins out and -with the reminder from Kara- made sure that she put a rock on the top _ _. Then she put the silverware in red solo cups and put those out as well.  _

_ As the evening drew near, two motorcycles revved up the street. They skidded to a stop just before hitting the cones and after putting the kickstands down, one seemed to be clapping while the other slapped the handles of the _ _ bike in frustration. As they took off their helmets, Lena was greeted with the sight of Alex and Maggie. She smiled warmly and walked over to greet them. _

_ “Lena Luthor as I live and breathe!” Alex spoke, trying her best to be friendly. It was their official meeting and Lena gave her a friendly smile.  _

_ “You must be Alex! I see the resemblance from the baseball days!” Alex looked to the house as if it was the house’s fault for giving Lena the upper hand. She just chuckled and shook her head.  _

_ “I like you already Lena” Maggie spoke coming up from behind her with a smirk. She leaned on Alex’s shoulder and winked. Alex’s cheeks reddened. _

_ “Maggie, nice to put face to the name of Kara’s work wife” Lena joked. It had been a running joke that Kara and Maggie were work wives, simply because anything else was  _ _ preposterous _ _. Though it wasn’t  _ _ Lena and Kara who made those rules. The division did that all on its own.  _ _ Now, Maggie just laughs and nods. The cop pulls Lena in for a hug before Lena can protest and- _

_ “Hey!” Kara calls from the porch. She is leaning o _ _ ver the railing and trying her hardest to keep a smile off her face. Lena sees her mouth tip upward in a slight smile.  _

_ “Hands off my girl Sawyer! From what I remember you’ve got one of your own now!” K _ _ ara calls, walking down the driveway and pulling Maggie into her own hug. She smiles and se _ _ es everyone relax into a comfortable gathering. Maggie goes to her bike and opens the cooler in the back. She pulls out a box of beer _ _ and some Coronas. Kara jumps into action, helping carry them and putting them in a secondary large cooler. Combined with the fruity drinks that Kara brought, and the nice whiskey that Lena pitched in, she can already feel the hangover  _ _ that will last well into Monday. The two roll their bikes into the garage before heading inside where the lasagnas are cooling.  _ _ Alex brings in what looks like a large bowl of salad and sets it in the fridge before handing Kara a small container of Pot stickers.  _

_ Kara’s stomach, which hadn’t been fed in 30 minutes lets out a large growl. Everyone chuckles at that, and Lena snatches one out before Kara can wolf them all down. She pays Kara back with a kiss on the cheek and then heads back outside to  _ _ look _ _ at every _ _ thing.  _ _ With great satisfaction, Lena notices that everything is well set up for their night. She notices  _ _ a man walking up with Winn. They had parked half a block away and were now fussing over something. She smiles at Winn, having met him twice before.  _

_ “Lena!” Winn greets as he gives her a hug. He is holding a couple of dishes, both seeming to be pies of a sort and she helps unloa _ _ d them on the picnic table where the other dessert stuff will go. She leaves the tin foil on and then turns around.  _

_ “Lena this is one of our group friends,” Winn introduces James and he gives her a shake of his hand. She smiles and welcomes him, taking his vodka and putting it in the _ _ cooler. They head into the house and Lena watches as they all come out, bringing games and a rather large speaker. The boys set up cornhole at one part of the street _ _ , the basketball gets put next to the hoop. They have scooters and bikes of all sorts discarded next to the garage door. Kara and Alex bring a large firepit from the back yard and set it in the middle of the street.  _ _ They build the fire, but they won't light it until after dusk.  _

_ Across the street, the neighbors come out and bring their camping chairs out. Even if they  _ _ hadn't _ _ known there was a party, they are happy to hang out with this group of people.  _ _ Soon enough, Kara’s police academy friends show up and she gets to see Nia again. She meets the lance sisters who have brought their party friends. Thea Queen gives her a much warmer welcome than her mother had.  _ _ They also have a guy who goes by Wild Dog, who seems to be more friendly than she would have ever expected. Kara invites a few stragglers, and soon enough the party is bustling with just enough people to make the street crowded. _ _ None of them act disrespectful in any way.  _

Kara watches Lena interact with everyone, and she relaxes. The evening is going well. Everyone has at least one piece of her dinner. She sneaks three slices of Winn’s pies, and the al cohol is flowing  nicely. Everyone who had shown up brought some, as expected and now they were all milling about as some modern pop music  played through the speakers.

Kara and Lena are challenged to a game of horseshoes that their neighbors had allowed them to use. Kara explains the game rules to Lena. As soon as she und erstands, she starts to crush the other team. 

“What?” She asks as she throws another set of ringers. Kara gapes and with a wicked smirk, Lena shrugs. 

“It’s just physics” and Marv next to her just laughs. Marv was the neighbor who let them all play. He held a beer in one hand, a cigare tte in between his fingers and until this evening, had been the only one in Midvale who had been undefeated.  Taking their victory for what it was, Lena and Kara leave, arm in arm. They stop at the alcohol station to get refills, and despite all the food, Kara can feel a slight buzz.  The music changes to classic rock which has many people singing along. Kara herself can’t help it when Journey comes on. She uses her thumb as a microphone and sings into it, singing her heart out to Lena who just laughs at her the whole time.

There are a few times when she meets with her police friends, those who could get the evening away, and they all talk about some ridiculous things that are happening at work. The most popular was the Willis trial. No one  understood what had happened, and Kara couldn’t either. She makes her way to where Sara is challenging neighbor John Constantine to a street  Beer Pong game and clearly win ning.  Her crew seem to be enjoying themselves as their wine flows a little more freely than the others. Kara makes her way back to Lena who has just poured another glass of whiskey for her and Alex. The two whispering and apparently thick as  thieves. Kara walks up with a smile, and then is pulled away by Maggie a few seconds later. 

“Kara” Maggie looks at her seriously despite the beer in her hand. 

“They don’t believ e that we are any good at Beer Pong” Maggie points her thumb back to where Sara and the girl Charlie are standing. With a grin Kara pats Maggie’s back.

“Let's show them work wife” Her and Kara finish the dregs of their respective beers before heading over. With a smirk the game starts, and soon enough a small crowd is gathering around them. Body saves are totally legal in this game and  it’s Maggie’s third body save of the night. Kara quickly dunks  the ball in a cup and Charlie starts chugging it. Kara and Maggie win, barely. Sara congratulates them before they head back to their respective girlfriends. Lena  leans against a table and smirks as Kara swaggers up.

“How do you like them apples?” Kara laughs before leaning against the table with her. “How are you enjoying your block party?” She gently bumps shoulders with Lena who hasn’t stopped smiling since the evening started. 

“It’s amazing Kara... thank you” Lena whispers before kissing Kara softly. Kara just smiles and lets the party going on.  As the last light left the sky, she and Alex lit the fir e . Some of the neighbors headed out on their golf carts. Kara tilted her head as  Marv pulled out his golf cart and eased it out of the coned off area. 

“There’s a concert from a local band at the marina” Marv told her before waving and heading towards the ocean.  Kara smiled, understanding what that meant. She would have to bring Lena there later.  The concert left just a handful of people to pull chairs up  and talk around the campfire. As everyone settles in, Kara looks around.  Lena’s feet are on her lap, holding onto a beer that she switched to after her last glass. Alex is cuddling the bottle of whiskey as her and Maggie share a seat. Winn is on the ground, leaning against James’ knees and  singing something from a play. Sara is hooked up with this girl that they brought. The rest of Sara’s team, both the Arrow team and the Legend team - as they’ve  so proudly stated- are all making chatter. Kara feels content and reaches for another beer. They are just about to decide on a card game when  the sound of a car breaks the chatter. James stood up and walked to the cones.  As the car shuts off, Kara watch es as Kelly walk s  up her brother .  This time, its Lena that’s surprised.  The gang starting to vote on the game once again.

“Doctor Olsen” Lena’s surprised voice cuts the chatter again .  Kelly shoots her a shy smile and takes a seat with a couple of the singles who came out. She makes light talk with Sam after saying hello to everyone. 

They decide on  a new game called Do or Drink. With a wicked twist, they add Cards against Humanity to the game. Kara offers to go and get the games. Alex and Maggie head to the back yard to get more wood. Lena and Kelly both off er to help Kara. She accepts both and they walk into the house. As Kara opens the game closet door, she hears Lena talking to Kelly.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, I apologize for being so formal just then!”

“It’s alright, I was too honestly! So how do you know this rag-tag group of misfits?” Kelly asks with a chuckle. 

“I am actually Kara’s girlfriend” Lena speaks, and Kara’s heart lifts with pride.

“How about you?” Kara’s heart sinks to her toes as she hears that. Uh-oh.

“Through James?” Lena asks, and when Kelly lets out a hum, she just knows that  it's what Lena takes as a yes. Standing back up, Kara hands them each a deck and takes out her own before shutting off the  light and closing the door.  She smiles at them and leads them to the  party. The group gets out their cards and the rounds start going. The winner of the round had to pull a Do or Drink card.  This has people doing things like kissing their crush, dancing on the cleared tables, or taking a shot of the nastiest peanut butter and jelly whiskey that someone had left behind for them to drink. Hilarity ensued. Kara was bent over with a stit ch in her side as Lena had to both learn and attempt to twerk against Sara Lance who was trying her drunken best to teach her. Everyone was laughing, i ncluding Sara and Lena. They took their drunken bows and sat down.  Once a winner  was finally  declared, they all hop ped onto several golf carts and head ed to the Marina to attend the closing songs of the band. 

_ The Marina was on the docks near the ocean, and it was an open area for local bands to host concerts. They usually held the good ones on the weekends, but anyone could apply. As Kara pulled the golf cart up to the pa _ _ rking spot, the hitch hikers in the back all jumped off and joined the crowds to dance. Kara pulled Lena out of the cart with keys in her hand. Instead of joining the others in the crowd, Kara led her to a spot closer to the beach.  _ _ The Marina was decked out with a small disco ball, tons of fairy lights, and questionable stains on the concrete. But the music was loud, and the people were moving and grooving. It was good enough for Lena in her drunken stupor. Kara helped Lena take off her  _ _ shoes and they swayed to the music barefoot in the san _ _ ds. The songs slowed down, and she could recognize some of the love ballads they were playing.  _

_ “I had fun with you tonight,” Kara muttered into her ear. Lena shivered and nodded. Replying breathlessly. _

_ “I did too...” And Lena meant that. This was the type of place she could let herself go and not need to be in the middle of anything. _ _ She _ __ _ pressed her lips against Kara’s, no longer caring about the PDA. She sighed as Kara’s lips eagerly matched hers. The night was perfect.  _ _ They stayed there until the songs started to move a little faster.  _ _ Then they put their shoes back on and joined the dancing party until the band was done. The band had played 4 encore songs after Lena threw them a $100 bill before finally shutting down for the night. Lena jumped into Kara’s golf cart and they  _ _ let a few people onto the back seat before heading back and starting the fire back up. By now it was easily midnight and the party had become smaller. Sara Lance’s teams had all retired back to the motel, which left Kara’s small g _ _ roup of friends. Lena could count them with her hands. All that remained of the large block party were Kara, herself, Alex, Maggie, James, Winn, Kelly, Sam, and Nia. The 9 of them huddled around the fire,  _ _ going over different stories and laughing at the memories that they all shared.  _

_ “So, James, how did you and Kara meet?” Lena asked with a grin, she had heard how everyone had met Kara other than James.  _

_ “Through Kelly actually” James muttered with a smile. Lena tilted her head,  _

_ “Really?” Lena asked. She felt Kara tense next to her. Lena frowned.  _

_ “Yeah, Kara was actually-” Jam _ _ es took a sip into his beer and _ __ _ coughed _ _. He spent a few moments recovering _ _ and that seemed to be the end of his statement.  _ _ The conversation moved to Alex and Maggie. Now that they were finally together, they had some things  _ _ that everyone wanted to goad them about.  _ _ Lena made minimal attempts at  _ _ conversation; _ _ her mind was going over a very stupid lie. _

_ The rest of the night went _ _ rather quick.  _ _ Kelly turned in first, claiming she had to get back for a client in the afternoon. Then Sam and Nia decided that they were going to head to the beach _ _ , and no one else was interested in joining them. With a sigh, Kara stood up and announced clean up time.  _ _ They doused the fire, and while Alex and Kara put it back into the back yard, her and Winn folded up the tables and put them away. Everyone picked up the  _ _ little pieces of trash  _ _ before heading inside and retiring to  _ _ different parts of the house _ _. _ _ Alex and Maggie claimed the kitchen, Winn and James claimed the back yard.  _ _ Lena retired up to Kara’s room, her anger simmering. She hated lies. _

__ _ She waited for Kara to join her _ _ , and when the blonde finally made her appearance, Lena was seeing red. Lena sat in the reading nook _ _ , she cleared her throat _ __ _ before fixing  _ _ Kara _ _ with a look. _ _ The blonde sat on the bed and let out a huff.  _

_ “Care to explain what’s going on?” She asked coldly.  _ _ Her anger  _ _ felt like cold ice. She could imagine if _ _ there was a shot of dry ice that this is what it would feel like.  _ _ She saw  _ _ her _ _ wince and then Kara sat on  _ _ the _ _ bed. She fiddled her hands before taking a deep breath. _ _ After a moment, Kara stood up and gently took her hand. She led Lena down to the basement where there was apparently a small home gym. Motioning for her to take a seat, Lena sat on the exercise ball and waited for Kara’s  _ _ truth.  _

_ “James met me through Kelly. Kelly is my therapist.” Kara explained. She wasn’t lying. Not about that.  _ _ Lena could see it in Kara’s eyes.  _ _ Knowing th _ _ at truth, Lena _ _ clenched her jaw _ _. With tears in her eyes she asked, _

_ “Why the hell  _ _ didn’t _ __ _ you just  _ _ SAY _ _ that?  _ _ You  _ _ LIED _ _ to me Kara _ _. I’ve told you time and time again how I have grown up with betrayals of trust, with a family of liars. At the same time essentially begging you to be honest and truthful to me. That’s ALL I’ve begged you for! _ _ ”  _ _ It hurt, and they both knew that. Lena felt sadness replacing her anger. Hurt that Kara didn’t trust her to know about a stupid therapist. _ __ _ She needed to have her answers  _ _ though _ _.  _ _ She had to press on, even after watching Kara bite her lip.  _

_ Lena imagined Kara getting defensive _ _ and mad. She imagined them arguing over this, _ __ _ maybe  _ _ getting to a _ _ l _ _ evel a  _ _ bit  _ _ louder than  _ _ yelling before they went to bed mad at each other. _ _ Lena would be sleeping on that damn reading nook that she ached to just melt into with a book. _ __ _ She imagined _ _ the next day would be blanketed in a stony silence that would stretch until Kara dropped her off. They’d keep up  _ _ appearances _ _ , but they’d talk less and less. Eventually _ __ _ Kara _ _ would surprise her at the office, _ _ telling Lena that it wasn’t worth it to keep the relationship going.  _ _ She could easily see how their relationship could turn towards a quick end. By the look on Kara’s face she either was having a hard time  _ _ wrestling her _ __ _ truth, or she could see this outcome too. So when Kara hung her head, Lena expected the worst. _

_ “ _ _ Look I’m not proud of that. I’m not proud of having a therapist at all… _ _ ” Kara sat on the bench press. Whatever Kara was doing, it wasn’t way Lena expected the woman to say. So she stayed silent, the least she could do was listen to the truth after she demanded it so harshly. _

_ “ _ _ I went through something horrible when I was younger…  _ _ something that makes my parent’s deaths look like a ray of sunshine and I couldn’t move on… so I looked up a good therapist and  _ _ found Kelly. I’m not one to go and admit that I’m not all that hot in the head….” _ _ Kara fiddled with her glasses, having taken them off _ _ , she let out a self-pitying chuckle before shaking her head. _ __

_ “What happened?” Lena asked, and though  _ _ it's _ _ not _ _ something that was on the top of Lena’s list of things to say, it wa _ _ s _ _ at least  _ _ soft and caring.  _ _ It has the effect that she hopes for, as Kara seems to let out a soft sigh of relief. They could work this out,  _ _ everything _ _ could be fine. B _ _ ut then Kara gives her a look. Its heartbroken, empty, and she realizes that Kara is pleading with her words and her eyes. _

_“Please don’t ask me that…”_ _Kara’s voice broke_ _softly._   
_“Why not?”_ _Lena huffed. She crossed her arms. She watched Kara and noticed that the woman was shaking._

_ “Because I am not going to lie to you again and I can’t tell you that. Not yet” Kara is shaking her head and dismissing the idea. Lena huffs frustrated. She leans in and takes Kara’s hand. She wants to work on this but she has to understand. _

_ “Why can’t you tell me? What the hell happened that was so bad that you cannot tell me?” _

_ Lena is asking in a pleading voice.  _ _ Hurt falling away to curiosity. What was so bad that it made Kara do the very thing that Lena had asked her for?  _ _ Lena doesn’t expect the burst from Kara to come out.  _ _ Yet it happens and Lena has no way to mentally prepare for it.  _ _ It comes with tears and the broken look that Kara fixes her haunts her memories and nightmares for years to come.  _

_ “Because _ _... _ _ I’ll lose you _ _!!! _ _ Please Lena... I can’t Lose you!!! _ _ ” _

Kara realized how true it was. If she knew that Lex, her  ** brother ** , had tortured her. God Lena would hate her. She would push Kara away so far and so fast that she would have whiplash. 

“Please Lena… I cant lose you. I’ve already lost so many with this… I cant lose you too…” Kara is aware that she is crying and that she is looking extremely pathetic right now. She cant bring herself to care, its Lena and she cant have Lena knowing.  They were 100 feet away from the pile of pictures that Lena had noticed missing around the house. All the ones with Clark in them. If Lena found them, she’d surely put it together. Kara isn’t expecting Lena to understand. Nor is she expecting it when Lena wraps her arms around her. 

“Hey…” Lena mutters softly and Kara is gasping as she greedily sucks in every ounce of Lena she can get.  She can feel the edges of a panic attack happening. She had been pushing it away and holding it off ever since they came down to this basement. Now? Kara felt like breathing was a chore, and she was aching trying to calm down. She clutched to Lena , and caught the gentle tune that Lena was humming. It was enough to calm her down. Kara  took a deep breath. Before anything else can happen though, they hear a giggle and someone knocking something over upstairs. It  breaks the moment between them , and Kara stands to leave. Lena meets her eyes and  squeezes her hands.

“I am willing to wait for you Kara Danvers. I just hope that one day you can trust me with this. One day, hopefully, you will understand that I wont run” Lena mutters, kissing the last of her tears away before leading the way upstairs. 

They find a still drunk Alex spoon-feeding a  still-drunk Maggie cookie dough from the fridge. Kara leaves before it turns into something more . She turns the lights completely off in the kitchen, despite their grumbles and giggles. Lena leads her to their room. S oon enough her sleep shorts are on and she decides on a sweater instead of her usual tank top . For com fort, she chooses one that is hanging in her closet. It had come from those days that she was first dealing with her PTSD. As a teenager , she had several sweaters that were way too large for her to wear other than in her breakdowns. Now? They fit her perfectly, and they were still soft to boot. 

She took her pillow over to the reading nook and a blanket, fully expecting  that she wasn’t allowed in her bed. Lena climbs into the bed and looks at her. 

“Kara” she says softly and pats the side of the bed where Kara should be. Slowly, she moves over to the side and lays her stuff back in the bed. She gets in and makes herself comfortable. When she settles down , she has no expectation for Lena to snuggle up to her. So she is shocked to another bout of silent tears as Lena wraps her arms around Kara and mutters something about Kara being foolish.  Kara lies awake long after Lena falls asleep. In the dark, she forms the words, but never gives them sound. She tries to form how she is going to tell the woman sleeping on her how her brother was her torturer. The extent of what  happened to the mysterious victim is public knowledge. People knew that he had done horrible things to her, both physically and mentally. Kara had to testify to that in court. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to attach it to the person she has become. The person who has purposefully put as much distance as possible between who she is and who she was.  In the end, Kara only gets an hour of sleep before the  fire alarm rings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think and expect the second part soon!


	8. 7.5 Hangovers and Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hangovers, Beach time, Pasta making, and oh so much more!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe hello! So this might be it for a bit again, just cos I have so many classes this semester! However, I will happily post when I can!
> 
> To the story!

_ Lena jumps up to the sound of the fire alarm _ _ ringing. She groans, feeling her head swim and bile threatens to come out of her throat. Forcing it back down, she turns to look at Kara who is somehow still asleep. Her heart aches at how adorable Kara looks, unburdened by the weight that she m _ _ ust have to carry every day.  _ _ Kara’s mouth was slightly agape, hair strewn everywhere, akin to a lion’s mane. One sleeve of her sweater was pushed up to the elbow and the other  _ _ covered her hand to her knuckles. Taking a mental picture of the moment, she leans down and kisses Kara on the forehead.  _ _ Gently _ _ , _ _ she _ _ then _ _ shakes Kara awake. _

_ “Mmmmm” Kara mutters, letting Lena know that she was awake.  _

_ “The fire alarm is going off Kara, we need to get out” Lena tells her, _ _ sitting up to _ _ get ready to leave the house. She is stopped by a hand holding onto her arm. _

_ “If you say yes to three questions and no to the other then we are just fine,” Kara turns her head slightly and mumbles as she holds her hand in the air. _ _ Her sleeve falling down to her elbow to match the other. _ _ She holds up her pointer finger, _

_ “Are we severely hungover?” Yes, Lena thinks. She watches  _ _ as Kara raises her middle finger, now holding up two fingers. _ _ Kara’s eyes are still closed, as if the fire alarm meant nothing to her. _

_ “Is anyone freaking out?” No, Lena remarks. She tilts her head, frowning in confusion. _ _ Other than the fact that the alarm was going off, there were no sounds. No feet shuffling, no one had even opened their door. _

_ “Is my sister still here?” Lena stood up and walked to the window _ _. She squinted at the light and after a few seconds to adjust, she peered out. No one else was standing outside, she _ _ not _ _ ed. She could also see  _ _ that Alex and Maggie’s bikes were in fact, still there.  _

_ “Yes” Lena replied, watching Kara nod.  _ _ As Lena crossed over to the bed once more, now standing next to Kara.  _ _ She held up her pinky finger,  _ _ symbolling _ _ the fourth question. _

_ “Does the house smell like pancakes?” Lena knew that Kara smelled it, because Lena had that thought when she woke up too. Kara dropped her hand onto the bed and shifted slowly to sit up.  _

_ “Its tradition that whenever we have a party that Alex or I will make pancakes. Then we make the fire alarm go off to wake everyone up at the same time. There will be a line to get to the ibuprofen in about 3 minutes _ _ downstairs at the kitchen counter. Alex will do a headcount and see who is up. Anyone who isn't awake gets a personal wakeup with a bucket of cold water and they get the cold pancakes” Kara mutters. She  _ _ yawns as she sits up and stretches. Lena gapes at the mere thought that this was a tradition. She was mystified at the Danvers sisters, and not for the first time, she wondered just exactly who she was dating.  _

_ Lena walked over to Kara’s closet and grabbed a hoodie off the hangers. She put it on and went into their private bathroom and brushed her hair and teeth. Kara put some sweats on and a  _ _ cap over her head. They opened the door and watched as Alex walked past them with a bucket into her room.  _

_ “Rise and shine Sawyer!!!” They heard Alex yell. Kara tossed her a bottle of Ibuprofen and winked.  _

_ “I came prepared _ _ ” Kara says before heading downstairs to grab her stack of pancakes. _

_ “What the hell Danvers?!?!” She heard Maggie shriek. _ _ Lena chuckle _ _ d _ _ and down _ _ ed _ _ a few of the tablets before heading downstairs.  _ _ She was thankful, at least, that Kara had come prepared with her own bottle. _

_ In the kitch _ _ en she saw the group of their friends all huddling around their plates. They groaned in harmony and she watched as Kara dropped next to them. Lena walked over to the counter where there were a few stacks of pancakes left. She took  _ _ a stack that was a little bit taller than she usually preferred and set it next to Kara. She then crossed over to the pot of coffee and poured herself a cup. The shades were drawn and despite the sun being up and out, the room was cast into a nice dark _ _ lighting _ _.  _ _ As she sat down to eat her breakfast, she turned her head to see Alex coming down the stairs with a soaked Maggie _ _ , with slightly dry clothes, _ _ trailing behind her. Despite the hefty hangover and the fact that she was  _ _ soaking, Maggie was smiling brightly. She grabbed the cold stack of pancakes and poured herself a glass of OJ before taking her seat at the table. _

_ After a silent breakfast, they all headed into the living room where they put on some stupid crime show. Lena was sitting in the loveseat and Kara was laying her head in her lap.  _ _ She watched the show while absent-mindedly playing with Kara’s hair. James was rubbing Winn’s back as Winn snuggled into his side. Sam,  _ _ Nia _ _ , and Kelly took the other love seat, _ _ all draped on one another in a way that only a hangover would allow. Maggie and Alex were in a similar position as her and Kara, with Alex sitting and Maggie in her lap.  _

_ “I bet you it’s the brother” Alex spoke as the show went on. _

_ “No way, it’s the sister” Maggie spoke.  _

_ “I think it’s the Neighbor” Kara added, and she looked up at Lena. With a soft smile, Lena winked.  _

_ “It's the son.” She stated and she watched as everyone looked at her with surprise. Lena shrugged, not willing to mention that she had seen the episode before.  _

_ “Alright Luthor... Let's make a bet” Maggie said with a smile.  _

_ “Final guesses,  _ _ I’m willing to fork out ten smackers. _ _ Ten on the sister, _ _ ” Maggie said. _

_ “ _ _ I’m _ _ in,” Alex said, sitting up. “Ten on  _ _ the brother” _

_ “Ten on the son” Lena spoke with a wink. Kara groaned and covered her face.  _

_ “ _ _ I'm _ _ not betting guys.” She said with _ _ a small whine. Everyone let out a chuckle and Lena resumed her administrations to Kara’s hair. _ _ So,  _ _ that _ _ was how the  _ _ morning went.  _ _ They sat around and placed bets on who committed the crime of each new episode. _ _ Kara bet once and lost  _ _ horribly and _ _ has since been grumbling about needing to place bets at all.  _ __

_ As the morning moved along slowly,  _ _ the group started to recover from their hangovers.  _ _ Kelly left after the first episode. Sam, and  _ _ Nia _ _ left afterwards, having to get back for the night shift. James and Winn were carpooling and left around lunch. Maggie had moved upstairs to  _ _ pack up her stuff as Alex cleaned the kitchen. Kara had left to go change a few minutes ago, and Lena realized just how fast their mo _ _ rning had gone. She got up and headed to the front to check on the status of the street. She found that it was blissfully clean _ _. Lena moved through the house and made sure that everyt _ _ hing was clean before heading up to Kara’s room.  _

_ She found Kara sitting on her bed and smiled as she walked in. _

_ “Your childhood home is really lovely, it’s a shame that we can’t stay longer...” Lena spoke softly as she sat next to her. Kara smiled wistfully at her and  _ _ licked her lips.  _

_ “We can call in sick?” Kara asked, sounding as hopeful as she did desperate. Lena smiled, and she thought about it. There wasn’t  _ _ much happening at work, just some papers that she’d need to file, but that was it. She hadn’t taken a sick day since... Lord since the great Flu season two years ago. She needed it _ _ \- no she deserved it _ _. _ _ And it helped a little knowing how happy it would make Kara. Finally, she nodded. _

_ “Let’s call in sick then” and she let Kara tackle her on the bed with kisses.  _

Kara walked down in her jeans and a hoodie . She grabbed her  sunglasses and her beanie before walking to the front. She watched as Alex locked up the cooler to her bike and laughed when the cooler banged to o loudly.  She walked over and gave her sister a hug. 

“Should we go to The Quill is Mightier for lunch before you guys go?” She asked. Alex looked up at her with a guttural moan. 

“Holy shit yes please” Alex begged, and Kara laughed. 

“Lena  and I will meet you there. We are going to take the golf cart” Kara said before turning to head inside. 

“Hey Kara wait-” Alex stopped  her, and she cleared her throat. “-Look, I owe you an apology. Lena is amazing and she makes you happy. I’m sorry for jud ging her” Alex looked scared, as if Kara wouldn’t accept it. Kara wrapped her sister in a hug.

“Thank  you, Alex, ” She said softly before heading back inside. She walked over to  where Lena was sitting, nursing her third cup of coffee, and sat down next to her. 

“Hungry for greasy food?” 

“As only a hungover craving can make me” Lena replied, and Kara couldn’t help the laugh that came out.  They locked up the house and made their way to the main street where  a small pub-like style bar was situated. It was sandwiched in between  the local library and the thrift store. It was run by an older lesbian c ouple.  As Kara lead Lena inside, sh e was brought into a bear hug by one of the owners. 

“Kara!  It's been  wayyyy to long!” Gabrielle a squeal and looked to Lena. Already assuming correctly that  it was Kara’s girlfriend. Kara blushed deeply as Gabrielle brought Lena into a hug. She chuckled as she saw Alex in the back getting the pool table ready.  She showed Lena over to their table before heading to the bar to grab a club soda. She smiled at Gabrielle’s wife , Xena, who had also been very kind to her growing up. 

“How are you doing Z?” Kara asked as she ordered the greasiest burgers on the menu. Xena grinned and  punched in the order. 

“It’s been slow without the constant reminder that I’m training you; I keep thinking that you’re late in the afternoons” Xena winked as she handed Kara the tray of drinks. 

“One of these days, you'll have to come down with Gabby and hang out in the city” Kara sug gested, but by the way that Xena laughed, they both knew it wouldn’t be happening. Kara walked back over with their drinks and watched as Maggie and Alex started their normal game of pool. Kara  gently bumped shoulders with Lena and shared a smile with her. 

They ate their lunches together and Kara  found herself opening up a bit more than usual.

_ “Xena taught me how to fight. She’s been training in all sorts  _ _ of different styles ever since she was a little kid. At one point she was training with her brother, but then her brother died.  _ _ So, _ _ she took up the mantle alone.  _ _ When I came and after the hard times I went through, Xena was able to help me take physical control. My mental control didn’t come until after I moved to the City with Alex _ _ ” Kara explained in between bites. Whatever had happened to Kara, it wasn’t pleasant. Lena was starting to understand  _ _ Kara more, even without really knowing what happened. _ _ Lena made sure that Kara understood how much she appreciated her opening up with a gentle kiss to her jaw, right above Kara’s sensitive spot. She smiled before  _ _ standing up to join Maggie and Alex at the next round of Pool. After their third game, Maggie and Alex paid and they said their bittersweet goodbyes.  _

_ Kara paid the bill and said her goodbyes to the older couple before ushering Lena outside.  _ _ Kara showed Lena into the small thrift shop which doubled as a bookstore and Lena found herself giddy. She walked over to the classics section _ _ and happily perused the titles. She picked out the ones that she wanted, adding to her stack before continuing to browse the next selection. It seemed that Kara wasn’t surprised when Lena put a huge stack of books on the counter and went back for  _ _ more. With a fond chuckle, Kara went to chat with the owner while Lena moved around. She noticed a local artist print area which housed everything from paintings to photographs. Some of the paintings were obvious copies, and some w _ _ ere the actual painting. She noticed the familiar signature in the bottom corner of one painting.  _

_ “Kara” She called her girlfriend over, and Lena watched her blush as she noticed the painting. _

_ “That old thing?” Kara brushed it off with a chuckle. It was a painting of a beach wedding. It had clearly been painted for whomever was in the painting due to the framework. She wondered why it was  _ _ here of all places. _

_ “That’s an old painting of everyone’s favorite aunt Astra and her bastard of a husband, Non. We called him Non because he was so cruel that he wasn’t human. He was a non-human" Kara  _ _ explained. Lena nodded and then tilted her head. _

_ “What if we buy it back and paint over it?” she asked as she reached out to stroke the canvas. _

_ “I’m not sure what I’d paint over it with” Kara muttered, turning to face her. Lena smiled back and ran a finger over Kara’s chest.  _

_ “I am quite sure you’ll find something inspiring  _ _ hon _ _ ” Lena picked the painting up with a wink before heading to check out.  _

_ She looked back to see Kara’s flustered face and a fond chuckle rose from her.  _ _ She handed the cash to the man and carried half of the  _ _ books to the golf cart. _

_ Kara walked out behind her with the other half and the painting. Once her treasures were secured on the flimsy golf cart, Kara hopped in the passenger’s seat, patting for Lena to sit in the driver’s seat. With a flimsy  _ _ laugh, Lena rose her eyebrows. Kara wanted her to drive?  _

_ “It's not that hard” Kara teased as Lena shut her mouth. She hadn’t realized that she had asked the question aloud, and hesitantly, she sat down on the cart.  _

_ “Okay, how do I do this?” Lena asked while looking at the mechanics. It was so car-like, but at the same time, it was so not. She was never taught at Luthor Mansion. No, that was why they had caddies. That was why they had drivers.  _ _ She watched as Kara showed her the way to switch from reverse to forward. She did as Kara instructed, pressing on the brakes to release the emergency brake.  _

_ “With both feet Lee, it won't unstick otherwise.”  _

In the end, it took Lena standing up and putting all of her weight on the brake to release it. She  couldn’t find herself to do anything other than smile at the adorable display of Lena trying to release that brake. She did, however, laugh when they started rolling backwards while Lena was trying to sit down. They rocked back and forth as Lena felt out the peddles, and after a few moments of them both laughing,  Lena stopped the cart to fiddle with the forward lever. Lena pressed on the gas and they shot away from the shop. While gripping the han dlebar for dear life, Kara gave her tips and encouraging messages. Soon, they were flying around the corners of Midvale’s back streets.  Lena’s golf cart skills smoothed out, and Kara felt better about loosening her grip on the side of the cart. Finally, as they started heading home, Kara took the time to relax. 

Kara couldn’t have imagined a better scene, with them going 30 on the straight roads, Lena’s hair blew around her, and the woman looked  breathtaking with her red hat, sunglasses, white shirt, and her borrowed pair of  comfy sweats. Lena was laughing at something that she had just said, and the woman before her looked absolutely carefree.

This was different than the Lena that she had learned to fall for in the city. That Lena, while still amazing, was guarded. Of course, Kara didn’t fault her for being so guarded, not when she herself was the same way, but it felt good to let go of it all in some small town.  Kara found herself doing a miniature comparison between City Lena, CEO Lena, and Small Beach Town Lena. She found that all of them were  amazing . Where CEO  Lena could command a crowd of potential investors and politicians ,  City  Lena could command the stars in the sky and the planets beyond , and Small Town Lena would happily get lost in  those very stars, just to find her solace. There wasn’t one side of Lena that she didn’t like. CEO Lena did things to her that she couldn’t voice. City Lena was who she came home to every day and who she ab solutely adored. Small town Lena? This Lena was new and unburdened. This was who she was interested in exploring, and they had another day to do so. 

The small pile of books  stayed locked in between Kara’s calves and Kara found herself scooting over to wrap her arm around Lena’s waist as they rode down the road. It was only  two in the afternoon. With the whole evening ahead of them, Kara decided that they could go back to the Marina and enjoy some quiet time at the beach.  She turned to Lena and kissed her cheek softly.

“Should we go to the beach?” Kara asked

“As much fun as that sounds, I did not bring my Irish sun repellant that allows my skin to survive the constant onslaught of the Sun’s murderous ways. Therefore, if we go, I will surely burn to a crisp” Lena spoke, and while it all made sense to Kara, she wondered if that was just something that Lena was saying. 

“ Buuuut it’d be worth every second, right?” Kara asked , hoping that Lena wouldn’t get uncomfortable with it.  The smile on Lena’s face told her that she had won the idea over her. With a smile, she kissed Lena’s cheek.

“It's settled then! We go home and put the stuff away, then we go to the beach!” Kara gave her a smile. 

_ Len _ _ a hummed as she shook the fresh shower water from her hair.  _ _ She watched as Kara took out their left-over lasagna and put it in the oven. They had spent the rest of the day at the beach. Between Kara splashing about in the water, and Lena trying not to get burnt by the sun, the time had flown.  _ _ Kara had told her stories of her and Alex in the ocean. She had promised that they’d find time next summer for a longer trip when they could come and surf, or at least, the Danvers sisters could. Lena was just fine watching from the dry sand thank-you-very-much.  _

_ Once the sun started to set, they gave into the dying time and left for the house. Kara had shown her how to use her personal shower and left to use her sister’s.  _ _ Lena thought it weird, she wasn’t one to be celibate, and yet she was content enough to not question it.  _ _ There _ _ was a little voice in her head that had all  _ _ sorts of questions that she had to stomp  _ _ away. It kept popping up though. Little nuggets of information that all seemed to thirst for an answer. Why hadn’t Kara felt comfortable enough to lift her shirt up past a certain point?  _ _ Lena still hadn’t seen much of Kara’s body. Though she knew a great body was under those clothes.  _

_ Even today while swimming, Kara had worn boxers and a swim shirt. She wasn’t asking the woman to get naked so that she could study her in every intricate detail... okay maybe a little, but still, the fact that Kara’s stomach _ _ , chest, and thighs remained a mystery to her, it bothered her in a way that she couldn’t understand. She shifted in  _ _ her seat as she looked at the comfortable  _ _ scene before her. Kara was wearing an apron over her sweats and hoodie. It made Lena smile with fondness, and she knew in her heart of all hearts that she would wait for Kara. No matter the weird things that came with knowing Kara, and her mysterious past.  _

_ Even as she resigns herself to being able to wait, she feels her heart cower behind a brick wall.  _ _ A wall that whispers how she absolutely refuses to let Kara hurt her. She  _ _ briefly wonders just how long she will have to wait to get her answers. She wonders how long her heart can hide behind the wall before it gets crushed by it. Then she wonders if she should consider talking to a therapist about this. She probably sh _ _ ould. Which is why she know in her heart of all hearts that she won't.  _

_ “You’re quiet tonight...” Kara mutters softly as she sits next to her, handing her a mug of tea.  _ _ Lena smiles and takes a sip of the tea, allowing it to heal her insides. _

_ “I’ve got some things on my mind...” Lena allows, not truly ready to have a conversation where she has to ask the questions that remain unanswered.  _

_ “Do you want to talk about it?” Kara asks, taking a sip of her own tea. Lena considers what could happen if she snarks out a No.  _ _ She can see them sitting for the rest of the night in an awkward silence if she does that, but she also doesn’t know what to say. She must take too long, because before she can answer, Kara is talking again.  _

_ “Here grab those pillows and follow me.” Kara grabs the nearest blanket, which so happens to be the heaviest. She stops by the kitchen to turn off the oven before re-directing them upstairs and up to the attic.  _ _ At the end of the attic there is a window that can open, and Kara slips through the window. She lays the blanket down, and to Lena’s horror, waves for her to join her.  _ _ It's _ _ up high, and Lena knows that falling off a roof is not in her cards of _ _ possible deaths. She stays as close to the window as possible, but only scoots when Kara settles down.  _

_ “There’s no loose tile and the angle of the roof is not steep enough to warrant us falling off.  _ _ Unless you decide to purposefully take a nosedive, you won't fall off” Kara explains. Lena relaxes her death grip on her mug and  _ _ leans into Kara’s waiting arms.  _

_ “With everything that happened last night, I wasn’t sure that you were going to want to deal with me. I know how much lying hurts you, and I know that trust means everything to you...” Kara starts, and Lena finds herself staying silent, content to listen and look over the  _ _ small-town lights.  _

_ Which she found to add to the intimacy of everything. Despite her guard, she really loved the charm of this small town. She was having a good day, until the secrets and the _ _ lies reared back up. She wasn’t as okay with it as she hoped to be, and despite her best efforts all day, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was with her when she bought that painting for Kara to re-paint. It was there when they changed into their sw _ _ imwear, it was there when Kara had showered separately, and now that there was nothing distracting her from it all, other than Kara herself, she found that it still smarted. _

_ “It’s no excuse, believe me when I say that Lena. I am not making excuses here. Nor am I trying to keep you in the dark for fun. None of this is without  _ _ its _ _ heavy reason _ _ ” Kara was trying her best.  _

_ “It would help if I could understand why. Kara, I have no plans on leaving you because of this, but it would be nice to know that some things are rooted in truth. Who’s to say that you aren’t lying about something else? Or everything else for that matter?  _ _ I’m not asking you to tell me the most grounding and dirty secret you have, but I’d like to know what was true. I want to believe in you, I do... but you need to give me something to hang on to...” She looked at Kara, the lump in her throat telling her that that brick wall m _ _ ight as well be a curtain, she was never going to be able to hide behind a wall around Kara. But was Kara willing to do the same? _

_ For a few moments, Kara opened her mouth and shut it, looking like a fish trying to gasp in air. She hung her head and so softly, she muttered something that she didn’t expect. _

_ “I can’t tell you what happened yet. You know that I can’t, because if I tell you, you will probably leave me _ _ ” She  _ _ huffs, _ _ and a tear falls onto her cheek. _

_ “but everything I’ve told you about me so far is true,” _

_ “Kara...” Lena mutters, and she closes her eyes to the world. _

_ “Lena, the event, that thing that I can’t tell you, it will come out when it’s time _ _... and if you have a problem with this then as much as it hurts...” Lena whips her head up to meet Kara’s eyes. Suddenly feeling ice in her veins. What the hell would be so bad about this damn secret that she wouldn’t be able to t _ _ ell her? That she’d risk everything for it? _

_ “God were you an assassin? Did you kill the president? Did you shoot my father or something?” She asked, trying to make light of it all. It works, sort of.  _

_ “Not at all, nothing like that” Kara has a ghost of a smile on her face and it frustrates Lena that  _ _ it's _ _ not a full one.  _

Kara sees no option to go forward without Lena knowing something more. Lena had been so patient with her, and god it hurts her that she has to hide. Maybe Alex was right, more trouble than it is worth. She still needs to say something in the moment . Something needs to be said so that she can let Lena know that she is serious. That she wants this to work between them. Despite their troubles, she knows deep down that she feels so strongly that they are made for one another. Lena deserves her to give her all she can, without her breaking in the process. With a deep breath she mutters softly,

“I was kidnapped as a kid, right after I was adopted by the Danvers ” She hears Lena gasp, and she drops her gaze to her fingertips, she doesn’t want to see that sympathetic, piteous look that everyone always g ives. She  remembers how the last time she saw that face, it ended with the other having a bloody nose and Alex holding her back.  She knew it would break  her heart to see it on Lena’s. So, she studied the lines on her fingertips.

“Oh,”  she heard Lena mutter, and Kara bit her lip. “I can’t really talk about it, but that’s why I needed to talk to Kelly. Its why I don’t let anyone know about it. I just thought...” Kara give s  a huff and then switches to fiddling with the frays of the blanket. She leans back against the wall of the house and in a tone that she hasn’t used since first meeting the Danvers, she  spoke,

“I just thought that if I talk ed about it... If I let the world know, If I kept bringing it up... I dunno, I just thought that He’d win...”  Kara admits, and she jumps when Lena lays a hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry Kara... I didn’t know... I can understand why you  want to keep that a secret” Lena spoke softly, as if considering how to approach this. Kara  heard the way that Lena treated her like glass.

“I’m not glass Lena”

“And I never insinuated you were” Lena reassures. Kara looks into those emerald green eyes, practically glowing in the moonlight, and instead of pity, she finds sympathy. Instead of caution and fear, she finds something different.  She’d say love, but they hadn’t really gotten there yet. She expects the same attitude as one trying to help a broken puppy, but instead she gets Lena. For once she feels relief.

“I am sorry  that I made you rush that out though. I am sorry that I made it so that you  needed to say something  before you were ready.” Lena spoke, giving out her signature self-pity laugh that always makes Kara’s heart break. She grew up with the Luthor’s, Kara reminds herself, maybe the re is more to her story than growing up rich. Briefly she wonders if they are both victims of Lex. In their own special way. She leans into Lena and gives her a hug.

“ I forgive you” Kara whispers. They stay that way for a while, cuddled in close, somehow closer than they had been before. 

_ Lena tries to subtly dry her tears. She felt so guilty, why had she pushed? Usually she prided herself on waiting for her partner to be able to tell her thing _ _ s. Usually she didn’t push. There was something so scary about meeting someone like Kara. Someone who had her heart, and who could easily knock down her walls.  _ _ It was scary to be so open and vulnerable to her, and she was terrified at the one wall of Kara’s that she couldn’t knock down.  _ _ There’s no explanation, just a weight of guilt.  _

_ But then Kara leans down and kisses away her tears. Then Kara’s lips are on her jawline, and on her neck, and oh god, they are going lower than they have ever been. Her lips ghost her collarbone and Lena wonders if this is how she will die.  _ _ Then Kara is hovering over her. They lock eyes, and for a pregnant moment, Lena allows herself to get lost in those ocean blue eyes.  _

_ “Forgive yourself _ _ ” Kara whispers softly, “I already have...” Lena finds herself nodding, and strangely the weight eases.  _ _ Her breath hitches as Kara leans back on her knees. Her fingertips shook slightly, and she worried her lower lip. Kara _ _ ’s eyes roamed over her body, and then back to her own. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt and Lena sat up. Gently, she covered Kara’s hands _ _ with one of her own. With the other she cupped  _ _ Kara’s cheek.  _

_ “Hey,” Lena soothed, gently rubbing her thumb over Kara’s cheek. She smiled at her, “it's okay... we don’t have to do this right now” she kissed Kara softly.  _ _ Kara kisses her back as though she is hanging onto a lifeline. Lena supposes in some way it’s true. _ _ As Kara pulls back, she shudders softly. _

_ “Let's go inside,” she suggests, and Lena is only too happy to get off the roof and onto something more solid. They head back down to the living room, depositing their blankets and pillows in the room on their way down. Kara walks over to  _ _ the wall facing the kitchen and pulls out the record player that had been sitting there. Without looking, Kara pulls out a vinyl from the shelf in front of her,  _ _ its tattered and worn. Lena surmises that this is her favorite album, and guesses right by the way that Kara relaxes. The notes start to play softly and echo around the house.  _

_ Kara walks back to her and wraps her hands around her waist. Lena wraps her arms around Kara’s neck and follows as Kara starts to  _ _ sway.  _ _ She hears a soft, feminine voice float out of the speakers, but more comfortingly, she hears  _ _ those same words  _ _ leave Kara’s mouth.  _

**_ Oh I do believe  _ **

**_ in all the things you say… _ **

**_ What comes is better _ ** **_ , _ **

**_ than what came before. _ **

**_ You better…. Come _ ** **_ , _ ** **_ come, come _ ** **_ ,  _ ** **_ come _ ** **_ , to me…  _ **

_ She looked up into Kara’s eyes, and she could feel her breath leave her lungs.  _ _ She stilled their sway and raised her heels to match Kara’s height. With a shy smile, she gently kissed Kara’s lips. The soft voice of Cat Power continued as they _ _ professed and furthermore solidified their feelings for each other.  _

_ “Lena...” Kara whispered softly, and Lena leaned her forehead against the blonde’s.  _

_ “Kara” Lena whispered back simply, knowing that in this moment, there was nowhere else she would rather be, and no one else that she could rather be with. _ _ She saw Kara’s lips pull into a smile and watched them move. _

_ “I think I love you...” She whispered softly. Lena’s heart fluttered and she slowly lowered her heels down to meet Kara’s eyes.  _

_ “You do?” She asked in shock. Lena hung onto reality as loosely as her arms were draped around the other woman’s neck. Was this happening?  _ __ _ Kara was here professing her love, and Lena didn’t get it. She didn’t understand  _ _ how she could love her so. Moreover, Lena didn’t understand how her heart could so readily agree. Logic told her this was fast. Only a few months in, and god, she wanted to stay here forever.  _

_ “ _ _ Yeah” Kara muttered, oblivious to Lena’s internal war. Was she ready to say it back? Was it okay? Clearly Kara was throwing caution to the wind, but could she trust herself enough to give Kara what she needed? What if Kara got bored? Lena didn’t give her tru _ _ st out easily. In fact, she had yet to find someone that she could wholly love. Until she realized that that wasn’t  _ _ true _ _ anymore. In that spot, her mind automatically put in Kara’s smiling face.  _

_ “I think...” Lena muttered slowly, working through her thoughts, “I think I love you too” Lena muttered. She wondered, briefly, if this is what Celes _ _ t NG meant when  _ _ she wrote that one quote.  _

_ “Seeds and all” She whispered, laughing softly at the confused look on Kara’s face. She couldn’t bring herself to explain it, so instead they continued their soft sways. They ate dinner half past 10,  _ _ and they ate it cold. Lena was sitting on Kara’s lap in the kitchen, feeding her each bite of Lasagna that they had, stealing a couple for herself. _

_ They settled into bed that night late, and Lena quickly fell asleep to Kara’s whispers and peppered kisses to her jaw.  _

Kara woke up next morning before the sunrise, surprisingly after Lena. As she padded downstairs to see what her girlfriend was up to, she stopped in pleasant surprise. There she was, sitting on the kitchen counter. Her hair was slightly wavy, and the dawn light was illuminating her similarly to the moon glow. 

“Yes Jess ? I won’t be in today. ” Lena spoke into the phone. When their eyes met, Lena brightened up. She smiled and then l et out a nod.  Then she schooled her face into something serious, as if Jess could see her face. 

“I am sick” Lena spoke, letting out a fake cough or two. Kara had to cover her mouth so as not to laugh too hard. When that failed, she left to the other side of the house to let the laughter out. She thought it was adorable that Lena would try to convince her  assistant by a fake cough. It was innocent and oh so cute. When she got her composure, she returned to the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

_ “Sure Ms. Luthor” Jess spoke in an even tone as Kara ducked out. She could hear her girlfriend laughing in the other room,  _ _ and Lena’s cheeks felt warm. She was sure they were red. _

_ “I should be feeling better by tomorrow, have a good day Jess” _

_ “Have a good day Ms. Luthor” Jess spoke back, in a sing song voice. Lena hung up the phone just as Kara came sauntering back in. She looked at her girlfriend and smiled wickedly. She kissed Kara’s neck where the blonde had indicated was a sensitive area in one of their late-night talks. Handing out the phone she spoke brightly,  _

_ “Your turn! I am going to take a shower” _ _ before hopping down and heading upstairs. _

Lena was going to be the death of her. Absolutely and completely. There was no doubt that Lena would be the death of her. It took her a good minute to process what she had said before dialing  her boss. 

“Snapper? This is Kara Danvers. I am feeling Ill, I won't be in the office today” She told him in a weak croak. There was a moment of silence before Snapper let out a sigh. She could practically see him rubbing his bald spot and muttering that she was causing it to grow. 

“Don’t make this a habit Danvers, I will see you bright and early tomorrow, or I will see a doctor’s note,” He commanded. To Kara he sounded tired, and briefly  s he wondered if he was okay.

“You got it boss” Kara said before hanging up and putting the phone on the table. With that out of the way, Kara thought about what they could do. They had already packed, and the house was very clean. So other than making the bed and  loading the car, they didn’t have anything that needed to be done immediately.  She could take her to the library, although they had already done the main tour of the place. Kara pulled out the coffee maker and started a pot for them both, pulling out two oversize mugs.  She opened the fridge to grab her creamer and then opened the spice rack to pull out her cinnamon sticks. With fall around the corner, her favorite drink was going to be readily available, but that didn’t stop her from drinking it year-round. She h eard Lena walking down the steps and poured her mug first. As her girlfriend walked into the kitchen, Kara turned around with the mug and felt as her breath left her body. 

Lena was wearing a flannel sh awl with a simple black tank top underneath it. She was wearing  grey sweatpants and a red hat. She held a pair of sunglasses in her hand and seemed to glow when she saw the coffee cup Kara was holding.

“Thank you love” Lena spoke gratefully, and she passed the coffee over to her. Kara smiled and turned back to make her cup. The coffee was black when she poured  it but turned a light tan when she deemed the perfect amount of creamer. She added a cinnamon stick and sat down next to Lena on the island bar stools.  She took a sip and sighed happily. Pumpkin Spice. Just as she craved. Kara hummed with a smile before turning to  Lena. 

“I was thinking, we have all day to do whatever we like, and we could do Rao’s for dinner on the way home,” Kara started, looking over to her. She grinned excitedly as she  realized that she hadn't shown Lena the best part about Midvale. When Eliza realized that both of her girls had an aptitude for science like her, they had purchased the  creepy white hut that was on the edge of town and turned it into their little lab. At first it was how they connected with each other and how they were able to bond. Then it was how they could help Eliza with  her projects.  Now though, the lab sat dusty and unused. She knew that Lena would love it, and they could even look at some fun things that Kara had been tinkering with before she moved to National City .

Kara had left home two years after she had g raduated college, dedicating her time to helping the town out in any way possible. It had started with mowing everyone’s lawn with a noiseless mower just before dawn. Then it turned into helping eve ryone refresh their properties with new coats of paint. She would make herself useful and help with her mom in the lab as often as she  could and would  become the DD during the weekends when the parties happened. Kara  had been pulled to National City after Alex’s promotion to the FBI and by Eliza’s concerns. 

For her part, Lena seemed excited to have the whole day to do nothing. So, it seemed like the best idea. She finished her coffee and left Lena to her devices as she went to go shower.  She found herself wanting to sing out her praises when  the water hit her back. She felt so much lighter. Last night was huge. And it was fast. Kara couldn’t deny that, but she could relax because it was all fine. 

_ When Kara took her hand and proposed a walk, Lena was all too giddy to not be stuck in a meeting. Her thoughts drifted to the stack of papers that would no doubt have already given her a headache if she had worked. Thank god for Sick day _ _ s. Lena thought as they put on their shoes and walked out. Kara led her towards the cliff area, away from the beach where everyone could be seen. Everyone was trying to  _ _ soak up the last of the sun while it was there. Lena didn’t blame them. _

_ Kara led her away from the houses and away from paved roads. Just as she was worried about where they were going, she saw a small hut coming up.  _ _ It looked like a murder hut. It looked like all those crime shows that she secretly loved watching.  _

_ “You aren't taking me to my death, right?” She joked slightly, and her half-hearted laugh fell flat at the sight of Kara’s face.  _ _ Kara’s face seemed excited and nervous. When the question finally registered, Kara’s eyes went comically wide and she faltered in her step. _

_ “What?! No Lena, never!” Kara protested, laughing in utter outrage. Lena chuckled at the  _ _ flummoxed _ _ Danvers.  _ _ She pulled  _ _ Kara into _ _ a soft kiss, laughing as Kara’s fingers deftly tickled her sides. _

_ “Who knows, maybe I’ve got other ways to lead you to your death” Kara whispered into her ear. Lena couldn’t hold back the shivers that came with the statement, and suddenly she wished that she could take Kara’s ha _ _ nd and put it- _

_ “You coming Lee?” Kara asked, in a somewhat different tone, the voice one of confidence. Lena gulped all the air she could to help her re-focus. She nodded and took Kara’s hands. They walked the rest of the way to the hut with _ _ a tension that wanted to snap. Their touches lingered, and Kara’s eyes seemed darker with something that Lena just couldn’t place.  _

_ Kara pulled out a key and opened the door to the hut. Lena peeked in and with a rush, she smiled _ _. It was a perfect looking beach house. Wooden benches, a small table, and even a little cooking nook. Kara led her over to a book shelf. With wide eyes, Lena realized that  _ _ akin to a spy movie, the bookshelf was moving to the side and a staircase was showing. Lena felt that the joke about murdering her in this place was now a bit too on the nose. She fo _ _ llowed Kara downstairs until they reached the balcony of a nicely sized basement that was perfect for a family owned lab.  _

Kara watched as Lena’s eyes  took in the lab. She sat on the stool while Lena eagerly walked over to the shelf that held their robots. Kara smiled at the gleeful gasp when Lena’s attention landed on a small figure of DaVinci’s flight models  moving slowly, constantly turning with the chargeable batteries being charged with each rotation that the device completed.  Then she watched as Lena laughed at the robot that was looking at her with squinting eyes. 

“That’s  Kelex ” Kara supplied with a smile. She stood up and walked over to Lena’s side . With a wink, she held out her hand. Everything was worth the gleeful  laugh that came from Lena’s mouth as  Kelex not only  rolled onto her hand, but waved as well. 

“Kelex is adorable!!!” Lena supplied as she waved back. Her eyes lit up with such love that Kara wanted to keep it going. She held her hand out for Lena to take Kelex, and she  gleefully toyed around with  it. Kara retreated to her lab stool.

“This is why I love science so much. When I started asking questions, Mom, Alex, and I found this hut that was about to be torn down. We built it back up and turned the basement into a fortified lab. That way we c ould make explosions and not worry about our neighbors coming to check on us, or our house getting infected with anything” Kara found her self bristling with the stories that she could tell. 

Lena’s attention was swept away by the rhythmic beeping on the wall. Kara stood up and walked over to the wall, pushing the button that revealed the screen and its contents.

_ “These are vitals!” Lena found herself shocked. This little lab and all its delights had so many little things that she  _ _ hadn't _ _ noticed the beeping at first. But she was surprised that they could have vitals on a screen like this in such a small lab with no animals in sight.  _ _ There were three separate readings going on at the same time. One titled SG, the other AD and the last titled MD. She could te _ _ ll each heartbeat separately, and noticed that that was what the beeping sound was. Three hearts almost completely in synch. Lena looked to Kara, whose cheeks were bright red, and whose eyes refused to meet hers.  _

_ “That’s our vital board” Kara muttered, looking up to the  _ _ board, “MD is for Momma Danvers, AD is Alex.”  _

_ “and SG?” _

_ “That is mine, my heartbeat” Lena looked up to the board, seeing with absolute proof that Kara was alive, heart beating strong, and in front of her. She rested her hand on Kara’s chest where her heart was and felt it pulse in time with the beeps.  _ _ Lena looked up to Kara’s eyes, and slowly, she licked her dry lips. The beeping increased as Lena ghosted  _ _ her lips on the side of Kara’s neck.  _

_ Kara whimpered softly as Lena’s fingers teased the underside of her shirt. The beeping increased slightly, her heart beating faster.  _ _ Smirking, Lena withdrew her fingers. She _ _ k _ _ issed Kara softly and then sat on the counter behind her. Kara  _ _ bit her lip and then cleared her throat.  _

_ “I want...” She started, and Lena stayed silent. It wasn’t her turn to talk anyways. _

_ “I don’t want you to run away... I want to show you...” Kara stuttered out, her fingers fiddling  _ _ with the hem of her own shirt. With a deep breath Kara seemed to hype herself up.  _

_ “Before we do anything...” Kara looked into Lena’s eyes. She hoped that her eyes told her what she needed to know.  _

** It’s okay Kara, we don’t have to do this now. ** That’s what Lena’s eyes seemed to be saying. As much as Kara wanted to take her upstairs and devour her, she couldn’t. Kara wasn’t ready to show off her every scar, not when knowing who  wielded the weapons would cru sh her more than seeing them on her body.  Kara walked over to Lena and kissed her softly, passionately, and prayed that it was enough for right now. Thankfully it w as, and Lena seemed to melt into Kara content with what she had. 

Kara felt guilt push itself away as Lena pulled Kara’s hands into hers and whispered in her ear,

“Tell me how you guys  can read your vitals no matter where in the world you are” Kara deflated happily. She sat next to Lena, showing her where the vital tracker was and then showed her a blueprint of the tracker. It worked well and it was her pride. The vita trackers had been her idea that she implemented before Alex went to National City to become a beat cop. Then she injected her mother's when Eliza was heading to Russia for two weeks.  Kara had injected herself when she was alone and bored, and in a really low place. Seeing her vitals helped her remember that she was alive. It was strangely comforting and Alex had often expressed concern that Kara liked her own pulse too much. 

Kara and Lena fiddled with the idea for a while, Lena trying to make it something that she could implement into the suits. If these suits could come with a way to monitor who was alive and who wasn’t, perhaps the police officers would be able to  redouble the rate at which they saved their officers. Or so Lena was telling Kara. Kara had no qualms in helping Lena develop the improved trackers.

They worked until Kara’s stomach grumbled and Lena rolled up the designs for the plans. They decided on heading back to Eliza’s and heading home. It was in the late afternoon and Kara knew that the sooner they headed home, the longer they could spend at Rao ’s. So, Kara locked up the hut, putting everything back as it should be. Then they headed back to Eliza’s, a nd Kara made sure that everything was packed up that they needed. They emptied the left overs back into the cooler, and loaded the truck with everything they brought. 

When Kara walked back through the house, she found Lena sitting on the bed in her room. She knocked on the door and Lena looked up with a smile. 

“Hey you,” Lena spoke softly, putting the childhood photo back on Kara’s nightstand. Kara sat next to Lena.

“Hey you” Kara repeated with a chuckle, “How are you doing?” she asked as she put her head on Lena’s shoulder.

“I'm sad we have to go back” Lena chuckled, “I know we had a crazy time here, with some arguments, and some hard truths, but I truly love this place” Lena  remarked . Kara found that she wholeheartedly agreed. 

“Let's do a week sometime soon” Kara muttered softly, already planning it out in her mind. She felt Lena’s nod and together they stood up, taking one last look around before heading outside. Lena sto pped her at the bottom of the stairs, offering a soft kiss for Kara to cling to. They shared a secretive smile, though there was no secret to be shared.

Lena offered to drive back, and Kara found that Lena drove with pop music blaring and the windows open. Kara loved it. 

When they pulled into Rao’s they found the place empty and the sun setting. Kara walked over to the door and unlocked it with her key. She held the door open for Lena before leading her to the kitchen. That night was something of a movie. She taught Lena how to make pasta, starting with a pasta well and then how she personally folds in the egg. She showed Lena how she spice d the flour before mixing the egg in. She even got the change to wrap her body around Lena and show her how to mix it together, both of their hands on the fork. As their first ba tch went into the boiling pot of water, Lena hopped up on the counter, and Kara leaned into her, kissing her softly. As Kara pulled away, she  bopped Lena’s nose and covered it with flour. 

Lena gasped in shock before bringing her own floury hand up to Kara’s cheek. Kara laughed before placing flour handprints anywhere she could, and soon it looked as though  Father Christmas had ordered a blizzard to rage only in the kitchen. It ended with them on the ground catching their breath. Kara was covered in flour in only the best of ways. She carefully  walked to the showering area and shook the white stuff out before returning to help Lena pull the pasta out and strain it. 

After they put their second and last batch in the pot to cook, Kara had Lena help with the sauce. She told Lena what to grab from where and together they made Kara’s homemade sauce from scratch. Lena was all smiles as Kara questioned how Lena’s sauce was so much better than hers. Lena’s was bursting with flavor, and while Kara had flav or in hers, it wasn’t like this. Finally, they sat down at one of the booths and the night slowed down. Kara had found some candles that were extra drip py and romantic. She lowered the lights of the dining area and put on some romantic music on in the background. Then she went to the cellar and pulled out a bottle of their best wine.  Lena was sitting there, now only slightly dusted in flour, with her plate of spaghetti and happily accepted the wine. Kara sat down and left the wine in a basket for them. They made small talk as they ate. 

“Kara” Lena asked, putting down her fork. “Sway with me?” She asked as she stood up from the booth. The songs had gone from romantic classic to  romantic jazz. Kara nodded and allowed herself to be pulled in as Lena lead them in a sway. 

“How is it that you are always surprising me?” She asked softly. Kara let out a nervous chuckle at that. It wasn’t so surprising, not really. Though with the critical pieces of her puzzle missing, Kara could only assume how much of a mystery she must be to Lena. Perhaps that’s why Lena loves hanging out with h er so much. 

“I don’t know, I suppose it’s the same as you always surprising me” Kara grinned, chuckling as Lena’s eyebrow raised. 

“Yes, like how you can sway with such elegance. Or how you can come into my small-town home and make it so that the world wants to keep you” Kara muttered softly, kissi ng the side of Lena’s jaw. 

“How no matter what I say or what I do, you seem to be okay with whatever it is I need” Kara bit her lip, looking into Lena’s shining eyes. How Lena could love her even though she knew that she wasn’t worthy of love.  Lena kissed her fully and her self-depreciating thoughts left her as the fog of love came swooping in. She wondered if this was what people meant when they said that they were constantly ba ttling dark and light. Was Lena her light? Was her past her own darkness? In short, yes. Kara knew that with all her heart. Yes, Lena was her light, her saving grace, her everything. Though Lena she could finally understand what it meant to be okay.

** 1000 miles away, the crack in the wall became visible. A tattered Leslie Willis kept her eyes trained on it, even as the therapist tried ** ** to have her answer questions. She kept twisting her wrists, wearing down the leather cuffs that she wore. She kept staring at the crack, and akin to a viper before it strikes,  ** ** she lay patiently in wait.  **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments keep me going! Please let me know what you think!  
> What do you guys think about a time jump?
> 
> This is probably the end of the start, now we are going into the main plot!!!


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